Beasly
by Macy Webber
Summary: The "gripping" tale of a puzzle keeper bee.
1. Glowing Lights

It was a weird house. Even weirder there was a smaller version of the house inside the weird house. He sensed something sweet, so he flew towards it. He did not have a name, or a purpose, other than finding pollen to create honey for the queen. Something stood in the way of his only goal, a young lady, in her twenties, wearing a funny hat and a long dark blue skirt and a pink blouse. His first instinct was to sting but as he charged forward he hit some invisible wall. He flew around madly bouncing off walls he could not see. He looked up to find some metal round thing with little holes poked through it, too small for him to escape through. He was forced up by the invisible walls right in front of the young woman's face.

"You and me are a lot alike," she said sweetly. He knew he was different from other bees, in that he could understand the speech of the large monsters that were seemingly everywhere. Ever since he was small he listened to them, he would catch snippets of conversations from small children playing in the forest where he lived. Yet he did not understand the meanings of this monster's words, "You are confused! I've seen it on many people's faces when they are stuck on puzzles. But if people did not get stuck, what use would we be?" He still wasn't following. "I know why you came here little bee, animals with the gift can always smell or sense the puzzles as if it was sweet nectar in your case." She giggled.

A puzzle? He questioned, what was that? The sweet smell grew stronger and stronger; he hit the walls harder trying to break free. He heard the loud slam of the windows opening wide. Little spheres of light danced into the room. They looked as if stars from the sky had floated down to meet the odd lady. "Those are puzzles, my bee," her voice was soft, barely above a whisper, "I am what you may call a puzzle keeper, puzzles that people forget or get stuck on come to me for shelter." As she explained one puzzle flew straight toward him, he looked away from the brilliant glow. "You also attract puzzles; you have a sort of "magnetic personality". Through some training you could become an excellent puzzle keeper."

She removed the metal circular thing, he flew upwards. He was free he could fly away back to the hive. Or, stay with the weird lady and the sweet lights. The globe of light floated closer to him, he felt a strange warmth. "Stay?" she asked, pleading with her eyes. She held out her hands. The puzzle and the bee floated to rest in her palms. "Thank-you, my bee," she whispered, the other lights flew into the tiny cottage sitting in the middle of the room. She carried the puzzle and the bee in her hands and placed them both into the cottage. The bee felt sleepy, he rested on a shelf inside the small cottage amongst the blinking lights.


	2. Clairvoyant

"I'm glad to see you up and at em," the lady smiled wide. The bee circled the plate and looked up at her, "It's just sugar water, I'm sorry if you don't like it, I couldn't find any flowers this morning. I heard somewhere bees eat sugar water so I poured some on that plate." He tried it, and then began feasting on the clear liquid. "Give me an ear, or whatever you use to pick up vibrations, please. This is your first day as a Puzzle Keeper in training! You are like my apprentice. My name is Elizabeth Riddleton, but you can call me Lizzie. As soon as I can get you to talk that is. I come from a long line of beautiful and clairvoyant puzzle keepers."

He looked confused, "Clairvoyant you ask? You see, everyone with the gift has an added power. I am clairvoyant meaning I can see the future," she wiggled her fingers and made a humming noise. He rolled his eyes, "Hey! Don't give me attitude! It's true; let me make a prediction right now." She closed her eyes for a second. They suddenly opened wide, "Twenty years from now," her voice was soothing but there was power behind her words, "I'll be about forty-six then mind you, someone very important will be born. Yes, he will solve many puzzles, but his life will not be without hardships. Both you and I will play a part in his life even if in a small way. Poor man," she had a look of pity on her face, "The lady has to die."

He stopped eating, that was a rather dreary prediction. "Oh, it won't be all horrible; some little ones will know a way to make him smile. A gilded fruit and this man's apprentice, you'll meet them someday," she waved her hand back and forth as if to push the future away. "The only bad thing about the seeing the future is you can't prove that you're right for a long time. Now enough about me let's talk about you."

He sat on the edge of the table swinging his legs making a buzzing noise. "This is where we reach a problem. You can understand me but I can't understand you. I'll have to teach you to talk!" he gave her a look that said what he wanted to, _how are you gonna pull this off? _"You are capable of speech, you just have to try! I know there is more than that involved. But back when you were a little egg some scientists may have messed with your DNA. I think they mixed yours with a human's. But anyway, when you were born you had regular bee instincts, stinging, liking flowers all that, but you also had the instincts of a human. Like any human child, from listening to other humans you learned meanings of words and what they sound like." He looked at her like she was crazy, "I also suspect the human you got DNA from had a bit of attitude, stop looking at me like that! When I was little I saw the beginning of your life, clairvoyant remember? Because we were destined to meet, I've been waiting for you for forever."

He took in the meaning of her words. "Do you want to learn how to speak? I'll also have to teach you to read and write as well, so you can organize the puzzles of course. So how about it?" He reached out his tiny hand and placed it on her thumb. "I guess you want to shake on it," they both moved their respective hand or finger up and down. "Then we'll get started, I feel like this may take a bit of time"

He had a question, but there was no way he could ask it. He wondered: if everyone with the gift had some other power, what was his? He thought about this as he watched as Lizzie pulled out piles and piles of flashcards each had things scribbled on them.

"That should be enough, let's start the lesson apprentice… oh! I can't believe I skipped over that! You need a name." she declared. He looked thoughtful for a while but shrugged. He couldn't think of anything and he couldn't tell her it anyway. "How about this, you keep thinking and once you can properly tell me your name it will be official. Until then I'll call you Beasly, I'm sorry if the name is corny, it was all I could think of." He smiled, he loved it. "Let's start with A, it looks like this," she fumbled around for a bit then pulled out a flashcard with an A on it. "It makes an Ahh, sound." This was going to take a long time.


	3. Buisness Meeting

**Thank-you everyone who has reviewed here is another one for you.**

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><p>He was right. It would take exactly two years to learn to speak, read, and write with a tiny quill. It took exactly one month of that time to get it through his head that the letter B and the animal were two different things. Once he could talk though he talked an awful lot.<p>

"Oy! Plant more flowers, 'ow am I supposed to pollinate with only one?" And other things like, "The puzzles are escaping again, can't you tell them to settle down, I'm trying to sleep 'ere."

Although most of the noises coming out of his mouth were complaints, Elizabeth was able to have a nice conversation with him. She wasn't sure how he got such a thick accent, as she didn't have one. But she let it go because it was so "adorable." He had decided to stick with the name Beasly saying "it suited em" which pleased Lizzie most of all.

As days passed, he looked over the puzzles, counted them, and made sure they didn't escape the little house. From the looks of things the puzzles loved him. They danced around him illuminating the whole house. Every once in a while he would sit down and try to solve the poor things. He felt sorry for them; for every time a puzzle wasn't solved it was trapped as a sphere of light unable to spread its cleverness. When puzzles couldn't find someone to solve them they would come to Beasly and Lizzie. They had a lot of visitors who would challenge the puzzles. Out of the large amounts of people who came, only one or two were able to solve one. The puzzles then would burst, beams of light scattering everywhere. The puzzles left behind a weird type of currency that would show the owner had beaten them. Then the puzzle would disappear looking for a new challenger. These picarats, as they were called, were very rare; you could even sell them for large quantities of money.

So this was how the days of Beasly and Lizzie were spent. Each day was like the next. Beasly forgot all about his question of his secret power. While Lizzie's clairvoyant prediction was about to be set in motion.

"What's with all the rush this morn, Lizzie," Beasly asked sitting on the edge of a teacup, waiting for it to cool. Lizzie was rushing back and forth from the kitchen to her bedroom.

"I'm just getting ready," she put red lipstick on in a hurry, "for an important business meeting."

"Oh! So it's a date then?" he said with a smug smile.

"Strictly business," she smiled and patted him on the head knocking him into the tea.

"What was that for," he sputtered.

"I'm so sorry!" she pulled him out of the cup and set him on a napkin.

"You could 'ave killed me," he said coughing after each word.

"I just meant to tap you lightly on the head. I guess I'm just a bit scatterbrained because of my da- I mean business meeting," she corrected herself; she picked her purse up off the counter, "I'll be back by eleven."

"I'll watch the shop; don't worry your pretty little head about it," he said drying out his wings, "Go have fun on you date. Your apprentice has it under control."

"Thanks Beasly I will." She walked out the door; it had only been a second when she opened it back up, "It is not a date!"

"Of course not, go!" he said waving a hand.

"Okay, bye," she said and left again.

"Humans!" he muttered.

Later that night, Beasly had just put all the puzzles to bed for the night when the door slammed open and in walked Lizzie. She had a look of complete bliss on her face. "So 'ow was it?"

"Amazing!" she was ready to burst with information. She sat down in an old rocker, Beasly floated comfortably in the air in front of her. All of the puzzle sped out of the house and gathered at Lizzie's feet like excited children.

"You woke the puzzles, great," he rolled his eyes, "Well don't just sit there tell us more."

"He is an amazing man," she started, "he's so amazing!"

"We get it, amazing, anything else?" he asked.

"He's a mechanic, he showed me something he made," she looked both ways and held out a tiny person.

"It looks almost exactly like a real human," he said in wonder.

"It's just a prototype, but looks so real. You can't even tell it's a robot," she put the little toy away.

"Can you tell me the name of this fine gent?" all of the puzzles shook in agreement.

"His name is Bruno," she said it as if she was in a trance.

"All right all right," Beasly said shooing the puzzles back into the house, "You got your bedtime story now it's time for bed."

"Goodnight," she called to the puzzles who moved very slowly getting back to bed.

"They act like children!" Beasly exclaimed.

"I saw him in one of my visions," she said closing her eyes and rocking slowly back and forth in her chair.

"That reminds me, you told me, before I could talk, every puzzle keeper has a power." He said.

"Yes?" she said not opening her eyes.

"What is, what is mine?" he asked a bit nervously.

"Oh," she opened one eye, "you can't die."

"What!" he yelled waking the puzzles.

"You're immortal, eternal, you live forever," she said drowsily.

"I can't die," he repeated not sure what to feel or think.

"Yeah," she murmured and promptly fell asleep.


	4. Promise

**Thanks for reviewing, I hope you like this next one.**

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><p>Lizzie blinked her eyes open and yawned. Right in front of her face floated Beasly who had been sitting there all night. "What do you mean I can live forever?" he yelled throwing his arms in the air.<p>

"My, my, calm down. I thought I was clear, you cannot die. It is as simple as that," she said.

"Really," he questioned crossing his arms.

"I suppose there are a few details," she sighed, "I knew I would have to tell you eventually."

"Well," he tapped his foot in the air impatiently.

"You see you can get hurt still, say I hit you with a fly swatter thirty times," she said.

"I don't need a demonstration," he said shuddering at the thought.

"Just pretend, I'll never let anything like that happen to you. You would be badly injured and it would hurt a lot. But you won't die, you'll heal and go back to normal," she said.

"So there is absolutely no possible way I can die," he said slowly, raising an eyebrow.

"Um, no," she said biting her lip.

"You're lying Lizzie," he said.

"I didn't want to tell you but, if you sting someone or somehow lose your stinger you will die," she looked like she was going to cry, "Please promise me Beasly, never use that stinger protect it no matter what."

"I will," he said, puzzled by her sudden concern, "I will protect it with my life."

"It is your life, my bee," she said quietly.

"Right," he shifted his glance from side to side, "It's time for me to check up on the puzzles just rest some more we have a big day." He flew into the small house counting each one, "Puzzle number zero, zero, one. Puzzle number zero, zero, two," and so on.

"Thank you my bee, but I'll make us some breakfast," she got up out the chair and made her way to the kitchen.

Beasly was up to number fifty-three when there was a knock on the door, "Ohh could that be?"

"He came," she squealed running to the door. She opened it wide revealing a young man no older then Lizzie.

"Hello my dear," they leaned in and kissed, while Beasly looked away sticking his tongue out like a child.

"Oh, Beasly this," she nodded to the man, "is Bruno or Mr. Boris Augusta."

"You know how I don't like to be called by my full name," he muttered, then he extended his hand smiling, "Hello Beasly, I've heard a lot about you, it is a pleasure meeting you," Beasly took Bruno's finger and shook it with all of his might.

"It's nice seeing you Mister Boris," he said.

"Please just call me Bruno," he smiled.

"Um Beasly, Bruno and I are going out for a while for a walk so I would appreciate you watching the puzzles today again," she asked.

"Of course, you can count on me," he said nodding his head.

"Well Bruno also needs you to watch his friend," she said.

"His friend?" Beasly questioned.

"Um, here he is now," Bruno said stepping aside, a boy a few years younger than Bruno stepped in, he wore expensive looking clothes, "I promised his parents we would hang out this weekend while they were away but I forgot about my plans with Lizzie so," he pleaded with his eyes.

"Oh, all right just go out on your "business meeting" already!" she said shooing them with his hands.

"It isn't a business meeting," Lizzie said, "It's a date." The pair walked out the door laughing and giggling until out of sight.

"Were you right? Did your prediction come true?" Bruno asked once they were a bit away from the house.

"Yes he asked about his power once I got home," she said sadly.

"Oh," he sighed.

"I made him promise not to lose his stinger, but not even I can change the future," she quietly.

Back at the house Beasly was taken back by the boy's presence, he stood there like a statue unblinking and frozen. "Ello? I'm Beasly," He cleared his throat, "Who do I 'ave the pleasure to spend the afternoon with?"

"Augustus Reinhold," he said mechanically.

"Nice to meet you," Beasly said slowly. He turned back to the puzzle house, "Alright my pretties, it's time to come out and play." The orbs of light burst out of the house and bounced off of the walls in excitement.

Augustus flinched as four whizzed past him, "What are those?"

"Don't tell me you've never seen a puzzle before! Ere I'll show ya," he studied each puzzle carefully, "Number zero, zero, seven, get over ere!" It flew into Beasly almost knocking him out of the sky, "Puzzles," he muttered, "Now boy, touch the puzzle."

"Are you sure?" he said trying to stay his distance from the beam of light.

"Yes I'm sure, it won't ert you or anything, come on now," Beasly said. The boy looked back and forth still debating whether to trust the bee or not. "Don't just stand there, pick the puzzle and start solvin!"

The boy reached out his hand and touched the puzzle he flinched as the light burst and a piece of paper floated gently down. He picked it up and read the wording, "If twenty eggs are taken into a kitchen…" he muttered. He found a pencil and began marking up the paper when finally he shouted, "None, because they would have broken if carried like that!" The puzzle turned back into a ball of light and exploded shower sparks everywhere. "What? What just happened?" he said still staring in wonder.

"You just solved your first puzzle," Beasly said nodding, "You've set 'em free. You have quite the knack for solving boy. There are plenty of puzzles in this room pick one and ave a go."

"Thank you Beasly Sir," he bowed and raced for another puzzle, this time when he touched it, the puzzle turned into a box with two marbles.

"Good luck with that one, you have to get both marbles through the hole but they keep sliding until they reach a wall."

"I'll try my best!"

That night when Bruno and Lizzie came home they saw Beasly and Augustus both reading over a piece of paper. When Augustus saw Bruno he ran up to him, "Bruno, I think I finally have a use for those contraptions of yours!"


	5. Close Call

"Where are you taking me?" Beasly called, he stuck his head out of her purse trying to make out his surroundings.

"It is a surprise, no peeking!" She pushed him back inside.

He sat among lipstick, spare change, and crumpled pieces of paper grumbling about his poor treatment, "It's 'ot in 'ere," he fanned himself, "Can't I get out?"

"Then the surprise will be ruined;" she said, "besides a few more minutes in there won't kill you."

"I may be immortal, but I'm not 'eat proof!" he grumbled more curses under his breath.

"Here we are!" she called stopping abruptly. The sudden stop flung him against the side of the purse.

"That ert!" he yelled, rubbing his head.

"Come on out," she opened the purse up wide and he floated out, it was a flower shop.

"What did you bring me 'ere for?" he asked, "We 'ave plenty of flowers back 'ome."

"I think it's time you get a place to keep your puzzles," she said.

"Really?" he asked forgetting all about the unpleasant ride.

"Yes but you need to choose carefully, only the right plant can attract puzzles like, well, like bees," she said.

"Then I should find it pretty quick, eh," Beasly raced off examining each flower very carefully, "This is harder than I thought," He muttered, "Lizzie, how will I know it when I find it?"

"Concentrate very hard," she said, "I found mine almost immediately."

"That's because it was a small house, how many small houses are there that attract puzzles? And you can see the future!" he yelled as he sniffed a marigold, "Not this one either. Can't you do some magic fortune telling and show me where this flower is?"

"I am forbidden to give you hints," she said.

"So you know where it is!" he yelled accusingly.

"Maybe," she giggled, "Beasly, you may just be looking in the wrong area."

"Hum," he scanned the whole shop till a familiar glowing orb caught his eyes, "A puzzle!" He raced over to the light and saw what it was hovering over; it was a small black seed.

"Hove you found it yet?" she called.

"Oy! You told me it was a flower," he accused her, brandishing the seed.

"I never said such a thing, come on now. It's time we planted it, do you know what kind it is?" she asked.

"It's a sunflower seed. So this little seed will be where I put the puzzles I find," he said.

"Well, as you know, it will get a lot bigger than that. It should be able to hold hundreds of puzzles, and" she stopped abruptly, "Something's bothering you."

"Nothing is bothering me," he protested, "I'm getting closer to becoming a Puzzle Master then I won't be your apprentice anymore. I'm excited," he said half-heartedly.

"Oh, I must have confused the senses," she said they continued the rest of the trip in silence. When they arrived Lizzie fetched a little red pot and filled it with rich soil. "It's all ready Beasly!'

"Okay," he placed the little seed in the center and pushed it down, "Will it make it?"

She sighed, "It will."

"You don't have to sound so sad about it!" he said, "Now go get ready for your date, and don't tell me you don't have one planned!"

"You know me so well," she smiled and walked to her room muttering ominously under her breath, "Why do I see a dead sunflower in a lost future?"

Beasly continued to carry out his duties for he did not hear her gloomy prediction. He did hear a swift knock on the door, "Oy Lizzie! Bruno is here!"

"I'll be down in a minute open the door for him please!" she called from her room.

"Okay!" he yelled back. He twisted the lock open, "Bruno its open!"

"Hello Beasly," he said opening the door, "Is she still getting ready?"

"Yes, you know how she is," the both nodded in agreement.

"Okay I'm ready," she said whilst putting an earring in her left ear.

"You look beautiful, as always," he said.

"You look amazing too," they stared at each other for a few moments.

"Okay, you both look great, now go out and have fun!" he said pushing on Lizzie.

"Okay, we'll be back around twelve," she said pretending to be pushed out the door.

"No later," he said.

"Okay dad," she said playfully.

After they were gone he sat on the edge of the pot and stared intently at the dirt, as if it would make the seed grow any faster. He heard a loud crash in one of the back rooms, "You puzzles can't sit still for a minute!" he said flying over to go check it out, "'Ow many times 'ave I told you not to play in the back room?" He peeked in the door.

"Look Ace," a large burly man pushed through the door and grabbed hold of Beasly, "I told you, it's a talking bee!"

"Whatever Raul, just crush it and start looking for the picarats," Ace said opening drawers and nocking things off the counters. He was thin but obviously the brains behind the group.

"Sure thing Ace," he started to tighten his grip. Beasly struggled as he tried to free himself, he cried out in pain as he was slowly crushed. There was nothing he could do except, sting.

At the restaurant Lizzie and Bruno's food just arrived, "And then he spilled it all over the paper!" Bruno finished his tale, "It took weeks to see the plans through all that grape juice!"

"Did you try sopping it up with a towel?" she asked.

"Yes, but it just spread the stain," he said.

"You're supposed to dab, not rub!" they giggled together when Lizzie suddenly stopped, "Beasly!"

"What is it Lizzie?" Bruno stood up.

"We have to go!" she stood up and raced out the door.

"Wait up! What's wrong?" Bruno chased after her. They ran all the way to the little hut, Lizzie practically knocked the door down; the two thugs were standing in the living room.

"Where's Beasly?" she asked, with fire pouring from her eyes.

"Pardon us, we were just leaving girly," Raul pushed past her with Ace following close behind.

"Here are the hooligans who broke into her home," Bruno walked in with two policemen at his side.

"Beasly!" Lizzie ran into the house while the thugs were being arrested outside. She looked every which way and shouted over and over, "Beasly! Beasly where are you?"

"Dear," Bruno said quietly. She turned to look at him, and he took off his hat, "I think the puzzles found him." The over one hundred puzzles were gathered together forming an orb of pure light. Lizzie walked toward it very slowly with tears forming in her eyes. The puzzles parted revealing the center of the orb to be a squished Beasly. His entire body was mangled with his arms twisted backward; he was flatter than a sheet of paper. He looked dead, but Lizzie knew he wasn't. His stinger was still attached.

"Oh Beasly," she whispered.

He lifted his head slightly and coughed, "Oy! It does 'ert! Can't anyone be immortal these days without some sort of side effect?"

"Oh my bee!" she giggled through her tears, "I knew I wasn't getting rid of you that easily!"

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><p><strong>I hope I didn't scare anyone, too much. Review if you like, please and thankyou!<strong>


	6. Nine Months

It took a little over nine months for Beasly to recover. During that time other things were brewing. The first month was a bit hectic. Beasly could only speak in short sentences and couldn't tell Lizzie exactly what he wanted. Lizzie meanwhile had never cared for an immortal talking bee before, no one had for that matter, so she had no idea what to do. Every morning, afternoon, and night, she fed him through an eye dropper. The she spent the rest of the time trying to make him more comfortable and to make sure he was feeling better. Bruno showed up a few times but never stayed long. Beasly could see the strain his injuries were putting on Bruno and Lizzie's relationship. One night as she was feeding him he set the wheels in motion for something that would change all of their lives forever.

"Bruno," he muttered as she began mixing the sugar water for the night.

"Don't strain yourself," she said, "but yes he called. But who would watch the shop? What if someone else breaks in? Or," she began.

"Go," he said with as much emotion as he could muster.

"Are you sure you will be alright? I don't know Beasly," her voice trailed off.

"Go," he repeated not taking no for an answer and she could tell. She didn't want to upset him when he was in this state and one date wouldn't hurt.

"Fine, but I won't be gone very long and I'm feeding you first," she sighed and continued to prepare his meal. She called Bruno back and after checking on Beasly fifty times she departed with Bruno. It was clear she was feeling calmer and Bruno certainly looked happier.

She was gone for several hours, much longer than Beasly expected. When she did come she burst through the door, giggling like mad. "Hello Beasly!" she said very giddily. "I had the most amazing time!"

"Great," Beasly said.

"Go to sleep now, my bee," she said softly, "And thank-you, I never would have had such a good time if it weren't for you!" He was slightly suspicious and made a mental note to himself. He relaxed himself and fell asleep.

The next month he could move more and speak as much as he wanted. He still was fed by Lizzie but he was becoming more independent. Lizzie allowed the puzzles to come and visit him as long as they weren't too rough. Lizzie went out with Bruno once a week and Beasly began seeing changes in her. One night they were just about to go to bed when everything became clear.

"Beasly, I've been very tired lately and just weird," Lizzie said.

"Are you sick?" he asked.

"I don't know, I think something's wrong," she said worriedly, "But if I'm sick who will care for you little bee?"

"I don't think you are sick per say," he said figuring it all out, "But you may want to go to the 'ospital."

"Why?' she asked.

"I can't believe you 'aven't seen this in your visions Lizzie," he said chuckling.

"See what?" she asked again.

"Just see if you can find something in your future, just trust me Lizzie," he said reassuringly.

"Fine," her eyes got cloudy and distant suddenly she snapped out of the trance, "I'm having a child!"

"I was right! Go call Bruno," Beasly waved his hand to shoo her away.

"I have to go call Bruno!" she got up and hurried to the phone.

Beasly sighed and listened to the commotion coming from the other room imagining Bruno's reactions. Beasly knew one thing for sure; the next few months were going to bring big changes.

During the third month Beasly was able to move his arms and legs with less difficulty but Lizzie insisted on feeding him still. While not caring for Beasly, Lizzie and Bruno spent all their time together planning a wedding and preparing for a baby. The rest of the month went smoothly as the wedding bells came closer.

On the first day of the fourth month Lizzie and Bruno were married. It was a small ceremony as Beasly and Augustus were the only ones who came. Lizzie wore and an old wedding dress given to her by her grandmother. Her hair was done up in a bun, however she still wore her favorite hat. She held a bouquet of beautiful roses grown and picked out by Beasly who had regained movement in his wings.

"Congratulations you two," Beasly said as they were walking home. He was sitting on Augustus's shoulder wearing a mini bowtie taken from a doll.

"Thank-you but Bruno over here is a bit grumpy," she tugged playfully on his arm, "He's upset that he has to change his last name to Riddleton instead of mine changing to his."

"Apparently, as a puzzle keeper, she has to keep her last name to hold her title," he grumbled, it sounded as if that was a direct quote from Lizzie.

"So is Bruno going to live in our 'ouse now?" Beasly asked.

"Where else would he stay?" Lizzie asked, "Now that we're married we shouldn't have to live so far apart."

"Come now let's go home and solve some puzzles shall we?" Bruno said.

"The perfect honeymoon," Lizzie sighed happily.

"Puzzles?" Augustus's eyes lit up.

"Of course! I think I have finally figured out a program to make the robots speak and give out puzzles…" No one ever forgot that day, and Lizzie's stomach was growing bigger by the day.

During month number five, Lizzie and Bruno were gone on a real honeymoon, so Augustus visited the shop to prepare Beasly's food, who could now feed himself. Then they would solve puzzles until it was time for Augustus to go home. Beasly saw a change in the young lad, he always seemed like something big was weighing on his mind and he didn't have much enthusiasm for puzzles anymore. He solved them better than Beasly had ever seen though; he had already gathered one thousand picarats. He always delayed his leaving, not really wanting to go home. Beasly would get to the bottom of it, regardless of his injuries.

Month number six came and Lizzie was often gone to the hospital, so Augustus begged to stay over again. He was dusting the shop one day, when Beasly asked the question.

"Are you okay? You seem a little under the weather," he said.

"I'm fine," Augustus said, "Why would you ask?"

"Just a 'unch I 'ave," he said, "are there any problems at 'ome?"

"None at all!" Augustus yelled.

"You can't lie to me," he said, "just tell me."

"My parents have found a bride for me," he said, "She's beautiful, but I don't know if I'll love her, and if she will love me. I don't even understand love, it's stupid!"

"That is a dilemma, you got there," Beasly thought it over, "you've been coming 'ere as an excuse not to see 'er, right?" Augustus nodded his head, "You should spend as much time with 'er as possible. You may find that you do love 'er. If you avoid 'er she'll get to thinking you don't like 'er!"

"When you put it like that, I guess I should go see her," he said.

"What's the lady's name?" Beasly asked.

"Violet," he said.

"What a pretty name," Beasly said, "I have a few of those flowers out front."

"I think she said she likes flowers," he said looking at the ground.

"I like 'er already," he said, "How about I give you some tips…"

During the sixth month Beasly's wings were almost fully healed, he exercised them every day but it was exhausting if he did it too long. Bruno and Lizzie were talking about the baby nonstop, even talking to customers who were trying to solve puzzles. Lizzie kept checking the future to see if everything turned out all right but the future was shielded from her.

The seventh month was full of surprises; but the most important one was Lady Violet. She and Augustus stepped into the shop one rainy afternoon. "Hello Augustus what a nice surprise," Lizzie said, "Who is your lady friend."

"She is my betrothed," he said.

"My name is Violet," she said, "I quite admire your flowers outside, they are beautiful."

"That would be my doing my lady," Beasly, hovered in the air for a few seconds to bow to her then he sat back down, to tired to stay in the air.

"You weren't lying," she got closer to Beasly, "A bee that can talk!"

"And take care of flowers," Beasly added in.

"Those flowers outside are marvelous, for the violets, do you use partial shade of full sunlight?" she asked.

"Well I put them in full sunlight," he said.

"Really?" she asked, "I always used full sunlight but my flowers always wilt." She sighed.

"How much do you water them?" he asked, "The key to a plants health is lots of water but not too much or you'll drown the poor things."

"I should be taking notes!' she said.

"Oy, I've taught Augustus over there everything I know, you should ask 'im," he said. The rest of the night went smoothly, as Beasly saw a little sparkle in the betrotheds' eyes.

The eighth month was certainly interesting with false alarms and emotions flickering up and down. Bruno and Lizzie might have been terrified but Beasly, although not clairvoyant, knew everything would be fine. So on the twentieth day of the ninth month Lizzie was rushed to the hospital.

* * *

><p><strong>She had a granddaughter in the third game so she had to have had a child, right? So... it's late but I hope it never takes me that long to update again. Sorry,<strong>

**Macy**


	7. Changes

It's funny how the years seemed to fly by for Beasly. His sunflower grew steadily and soon it was blooming all year round.

"That's the flower's special power," Lizzie had once told Beasly, "As long as you keep it in the sun and give it plenty of water it should bloom for years."

"I know 'ow to take care of flowers," he had retorted. Lizzie was holding her child in her hands, the beautiful baby girl she named Mary. Mary reached out for Beasly trying to grab hold of him. After a few close calls, Beasly had become used to this and skillfully avoided her.

* * *

><p>Mary seemed to grow as fast as his plants did. Soon enough they were celebrating her fifth birthday. This was one of the most important birthdays for puzzle keepers, the first puzzle. Mary sat in a highchair with pieces of cake stuck in some of her long light brown hair. Her mother and father sat close beside and Augustus and his new bride Violet were there too waiting in anticipation.<p>

"Well, 'ere it is puzzle number zero, zero, one," Beasly flew in the room almost dragging along a stubborn glowing puzzle. He placed it in front of Mary; she reached for the puzzle but in moved out of her reach.

"Mommy?" she looked up to Lizzie who in turn looked to Beasly.

"No problem, I'll get it, they can be a bit skittish," he chased after it but it refused to get anywhere near Mary. Mary frowned and started to sniff, "No, no there is still no problem, um, puzzle zero, zero, two!" A new glowing light floated into the room but once it saw Mary it fled.

"Beasly, what's wrong?" Bruno asked.

"Bring Mary to the puzzle 'ouse," Beasly said suddenly.

The party moved to the living room, where puzzles were flitting about. Lizzie took Mary's hand and walked towards the house as puzzles steered clear of the two. When Lizzie opened the door the resting puzzles all awoke and left as if they had been startled. Mary started to sob, Bruno rushed to her and the two parents tried to calm the child down. Violet and Augustus looked worried and began whispering to each other. Beasly just could not figure out what was going on, which may have been the hardest puzzle he had ever faced up till now.

* * *

><p>"I don't care, Mom, I hate puzzles!" Beasly hid behind the sunflower and flinched as he heard things crash to the ground. It was almost fifteen years later.<p>

"Please Mary listen," her mother pleaded, it was then that Beasly noticed Lizzie's voice sounded so much older than when they met twenty-four years ago. Mary came running down the stairs holding bags, and tears down her face.

"They hate me too; they can't stand to be around me. I'm never going to become a puzzle keeper Mom, just, goodbye!" she pulled the door open and slammed it behind her. Lizzie came as fast as she could down the stairs, she was now fifty years old. But she couldn't stop her only child, Beasly heard quiet sobs and flew out to try to comfort her but he knew he couldn't do much. Ever since that birthday party it became clear that puzzles didn't like Mary at all, and Mary really didn't have any interest in puzzle keeping either. But Lizzie kept trying to make it work, trying to train her into a perfect puzzle keeper but it just kept driving them apart until Mary, fed up, just left.

"Maybe if Bruno was here, and not off with Augustus again working on his machines, he could have stopped her," he heard Lizzie say.

"It's not 'is fault," Beasly said quietly as he tapped his lightly on her shoulder. They stayed like that for hours until Bruno came home and they all cried together.

* * *

><p>The shop was closed for weeks on end. The puzzled grew restless, itching to be solved. Lizzie just didn't have it in her to open up shop and Beasly couldn't do it all on his own. One day Bruno came home around noon, and raced to the kitchen where Lizzie was preparing lunch for herself and Beasly. He took her hands and with a big grin on his face told her the news, "Lizzie my dear, we're moving!"<p>

"We're what?" she asked.

"Moving, to the town of St. Mystere," he said beaming.

"Where?" Lizzie said still very confused.

"Augustus has invited us to live there, everyone in town loves puzzles, think of how many will be solved!" He exclaimed. The puzzles seemed to glow brighter than before, they all crowded the kitchen all buzzing around excitedly, "And Beasly," he turned to the bee, "it is in the countryside, there are miles of wild flowers and fresh soil for you to plant your own, what do you say?"

"That would be nice," he said imagining it all.

"So Lizzie?" Everyone looked up at her eager for an answer.

"Fine," she said, the puzzles seemed to cheer and began flying every which way in excitement. And Beasly saw Lizzie laugh for the first time in ages.

The train ride there was eventful to say the least. They got stares from every passenger, with the small house, talking bee, and glowing lights trailing behind them. And of course, Beasly was complaining the entire time. "It's too bumpy, it's 'ot in 'ere, why don't they 'ave any flowers on bored?" Lizzie would giggle then ignore him, "I'm never going on a train again."

"Don't be so sure, I see us on a train in about, what? Twenty years?" she said.

"Ugh," he groaned and collapsed on the seat, receiving more giggles from Lizzie.

After a quick car trip, they were there, walking across a drawbridge into their new home, this curious village.

* * *

><p><strong>This is a year late! Sorry! I hope you liked it nonetheless. <strong>


	8. New Home

"What is this?" Beasly cried.

"Bruno," Lizzie glared at her husband, "where is the village?"

"Oh yes right," Bruno led them into the "town", it was composed of half-finished buildings with some streets still not paved. The only house that looked finished was a large mansion in the distance. There was not another person in sight.

"What happened to the people you promised?" Lizzie cried.

"And the flowers!" Beasly chimed in.

"Well, I will admit it is a work in progress, but in a few years there will be lots of people I swear, and Beasly you get to plant the flowers, Violet picked out the perfect place," he said still smiling, "Isn't it great?"

"Bruno, sometimes I think you'll be the death of me," but Lizzie couldn't help but giggle still, "A whole town to ourselves, huh? Well where are we going to stay?"

"In the Reinhold Manor, with Augustus and Lady Violet of course," he said leading them to the large house in the distance, "They promised to help solve the puzzles we brought with us so the puzzles won't start going crazy cooped up here."

"It seems you have everything planned, was this town your idea or Augustus'?" She asked.

"It's Augustus', he's doing this all for someone very important but he won't tell me who," he shrugged, "but it means my inventions are finally going to be put to good use, which reminds me I've got to show you something!" Bruno took Lizzie by the hand and raced to the manor.

"Humans," he sighed, "Ow' am I supposed to keep up with 'em?" Beasly flew as fast as he could, buzzing loudly. He finally made it to the front door where Lizzie and Bruno were waiting.

Bruno opened the door and held it open for Lizzie and Beasly to go in. "May I take your hat?" A short man walked up and bowed.

"Oh no, but thank you," she looked at Bruno then back to the man and quickly bowed back.

"Oh Bruno! Master Augustus has been waiting for you," the short man said quickly, "I shall take you to him."

"No Matthew, I want to show these two around, however we would appreciate it if you could you please ask Ingrid to make us something to eat, oh and stir up some sugar-water for my bee friend here," Bruno said addressing the man.

"Right away sir!" Matthew scurried off.

"See? Isn't amazing?" Bruno turned to the two almost shaking with excitement.

"What the butler?" Beasly asked.

"Yes of course, couldn't you tell? He's a robot, one I created myself," he smiled proudly.

"A full-scale robot? That's amazing Bruno," Lizzie leaned in and kissed him which made him smile even brighter.

"But you can't talk about the whole robot thing in front of him or the cook, Ingrid, she's a robot too," he explained, "Especially you Beasly keep your lips sealed about it."

"I will not float 'ere and be insulted," he crossed his arms, "and why not?"

"Because they don't know they are robots, they think they are real people. I've programed their memories so they remember a whole life they never actually had. They can even eat and simulate breathing, they are the perfect robots, all of my life's work finally in action!"

"Bruno that's, that's amazing, I'm sorry I ever thought what you were doing was silly," it was Lizzie's turn to take his hands.

"You thought it was silly?" He said confused.

"Uh, yes, but never mind that now, you are just absolutely amazing!" she said giggling up a storm.

"Are we going to sit 'ere all day flirting?" Beasly butted in.

Lizzie and Bruno both blushed, "Okay then, up this way!" Bruno led them up a few flights of stairs and into a sitting room decorated with pictures and various other works of art, there was a bookcase filled with multicolored books of varying sizes. Elegant chairs and tables sat in the room, each look hand crafted with extreme attention to detail. But the most impressive thing in the room was a portrait of Violet sitting by a window, a cat by her feet. It looked so realistic, and Violet looked so beautiful.

"Ah Bruno, my old friend! And it seems Lizzie and Beasly are here too, please sit down, or float depending," Augustus looked so much older, he now sported a beard, and was much fatter Beasly thought impolitely.

"My dear friends," Violet stepped in the room just as beautiful as always, she held a finger out to Beasly who landed on it, "Beasly have I got the job for you!" she held Beasly in front of her face and smiled for him, "There is a perfect sport for a garden nearby, I've got the seeds and all the supplies. I've already planted some violets."

"I think I may just like it 'ere," he said closing his eyes and smiling a bit.

"I'm glad, now," he clasped his hands together, "how about a puzzle?"

* * *

><p>The rest of the night they laughed and solved puzzles together, all the while Violet and Beasly made plans for the garden. They had solved so many that picarats now littered the floor. "I've got a new one, I've been working on it for a while," Augustus said excitedly, "Say there are two barbers, the only two in town, one's hair looks terrible and the other's looks perfect, who do you want cutting your hair?" As he spoke a light grew from his palm until it was a full sized puzzle flitting about.<p>

"I think I've got this one," Lizzie reached for the puzzle and answered, "The one whose hair is badly cut."

The puzzle burst leaving more picarats behind, "Where do you think it's off to now?" Violet asked.

"Who knows? It's off looking for someone else to solve it," Lizzie explained, "I have a feeling that it may be solved again close by."

"Glad to hear it will be put to good use," Augustus said rather proud of his little puzzle.

"You are quite good at this puzzle making," Beasly noted.

"Yes, ever since you showed me that puzzle that night so many years ago, I've more or less dedicated my life to them," he chuckled.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you, what is this town for?" Beasly asked.

"That my bee is a secret," he said then proceeded to yawn, "I think it is time to retire for the night. Matthew!" He called the servant.

"Yes Sir?" Matthew came in as quickly as he could.

"Please show our guests to their respective rooms," he said.

"Of course, follow me," Matthew led Bruno and Lizzie into an ornately decorated room with Beasly close behind, "I hope it is to your liking."

"It's perfect, thank you Matthew, please give Augustus my regards," Bruno said.

"Where am I supposed to go?" Beasly asked.

"Come with me, uh sir, or uh, bee," Matthew took him to almost the other side of the house to a wall.

"What am I supposed to do sleep on a wall?" Beasly asked.

"No, in it," Matthew stood on his tiptoes and pulled a little handle that Beasly didn't notice at first, it opened a little door, Beasly looked unsure at first but Matthew motioned for him to go in.

Beasly cautiously floated in, it was dark at first but he located a small matchbox and carefully lit a bee-sized candle in the room. He could barely believe his eyes, a small room, just for him. It seemed that custom furniture was made with just as much care as the furniture in the sitting room and there was even a glass window with curtains! He took notice of a door in the back of the room; he opened it carefully and floated out. There he saw that he was hovering over rows and rows of violets. His room was right by the garden Violet had promised him.

"I think I'll definitely like it 'ere."

* * *

><p><strong>Seems we are getting closer and closer to plot of the games. Hope you liked this chapter. (It's on time!)<strong>


	9. Violet's Light

"Isn't this the perfect spot?" Violet said pulling the sun hat off her head and fanning the two of them with it, "The sun hits this exact spot every day in the cave."

"Just the place for my sunflower," Beasly said sitting on her shoulder, desperately holding on to the sleeve of her shirt trying not to be fanned off.

"Then let's not waste any time, I want to fill this whole cave with the flowers by tonight!" She said and placed the hat back on her head. Violet quickly got to work planting flowers Augustus bought for her; he had cleared the whole greenhouse. Beasly, meanwhile, started planting the seeds treating each with tremendous care.

* * *

><p>For the past two month the two had been planning the garden and had covered fields and fields surrounding the manor in all kinds of flowers imaginable. When they had finished, Violet showed Beasly her favorite spot in the whole world. This cave's several openings were angled so sunlight would hit every corner of the cave although it was underground. But at a certain time of the day the sun seemed to only spotlight a certain spot. There, under Beasly's watchful eyes, Violet carefully planted his sunflower.<p>

"The puzzles will come running now," Beasly said admiring their work, "Thanks Violet I don't know what I'd do without you." Violet dropped the spade in her hand, the sound echoed slightly off the cave walls. Beasly turned to see her kneeling on the floor sobbing into her garden gloves. He flew over quickly in alarm. "Oi! What wrong, 'ave I said something wrong?"

"No, no, I'm sorry," she took in a deep breath and breathed it out shakily, "I'm fine."

"Violet, please tell me what's wrong?" He said as gently as he could.

"Promise me you won't tell Augustus I've told you," she said looking up at him teary-eyed.

"I promise," he said landing on the ground in front of her.

"Remember our wedding day?" she asked.

"Um, sort of," he said thinking back, truth be told he couldn't remember much at all. He had to hide due to the fact he'd cause a panic being a talking bee and all. He once ventured out to congratulate the lucky couple when the mother of the bride screeched and knocked him into a nearby wine glass. After that it was all a blur.

"Well Lizzie took us into a separate room to give us a wedding present," Violet continued, "She said she'd tell us a little of our future. She had us sit down in front of her and hold hands. Her eyes went funny and she told us we would have a child, I was so happy at first. She said it would be a beautiful, healthy little girl, we were both so excited, the best gift we'd ever received. She said she was done and we stood up to leave when she started to cry and talk, she couldn't stop herself," Violet started to cry again, "She said terrible things were to come, she said that we would never see our daughter grow up, then she started talking quickly about some gold apple."

"A gilded fruit," Beasly whispered to himself, "Oh Violet."

"Then she stopped, she looked so scared," Violet was having difficulty talking, "She told us maybe she was wrong or something but she didn't seem so sure. She said she had only lost control over her visions like that once before."

"Did she say when?" Beasly asked.

Violet smiled a little, "She said it was a secret."

"This town," Beasly's eyes widened with realization, "Bruno said it's being made for someone important."

"After the wedding, Augustus devised a plan to make a village with the sole purpose of protecting the daughter we will one day have," she said shaking her head, "Augustus didn't want you or Bruno to know, he didn't want his closet friends feel like their days with him were numbered. But I just had to tell someone."

Beasly smiled sadly, it all made sense now. The rooms made just for them, the perfect working conditions for Bruno, puzzles for Lizzie, fields, and fields of flowers for him; all so his friends would be surrounding him if the worst were to happen. Beasly was surprised to find tears blurring his eyes, he flew up and hugged Violet's finger. She held him up gently to her face and they cried together.

"Promise me Beasly," she said quickly moving him in front of her face, staring him in the eyes, "if something does happen to us, I want you to protect our daughter."

"Me?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes you, would you do anything for her? Protect her and comfort her, make sure she is never alone, and love her like she is your daughter, would you please my bee?" Violet asked seriously.

Beasly floated in front of her, standing straight in the air, "I promise to protect 'er, comfort 'er, make sure she never feels alone, love her like my own, and even sting if it means to 'elp 'er, my Lady, I promise."

"Thanks, that means so much to me," she laughed through tears, and smiled as she wiped her eyes. She stood up slowly and held out her hand to Beasly, "We should get going; Augustus might send out a search party if we aren't back in time for dinner."

"Of course," Beasly landed on her hand, and watched his sunflower as she walked away, his eyes widened suddenly, "Violet look!"

All other light in the cave had faded and now the sun showed only the sunflower, it seemed like it stood even taller as it stretched towards the surface. Then globes of light flitted into the room bobbing about, Violet laughed as they whizzed by her. They looked like stars blinking in the darkness, illuminating the rainbow of flowers.

"It looks like the night sky!" Violet cried holding onto her sun hat.

"Puzzles my Lady," he said as they watched the lights dance around the sunflower's glow.

* * *

><p><strong>This is a bit early for a change, and a bit shorter. Hope you liked it!<strong>


	10. Demons

"It looks amazing really," Lizzie said and then took a sip of her tea.

"Doesn't it just? It took weeks but it was worth it," Violet said, she sat across from Lizzie in the sitting room, "I can't thank you enough Augustus for all the flowers."

"Anything for you my darling," he stood over her seat and leaned in for a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I know Beasly appreciates it too, I never see him much anymore," Lizzie said cheerfully, but Augustus couldn't help but hear a touch of sadness in her voice too, "too busy pollinating flowers," She giggled.

"Hm, I wonder if he's met the little demon yet." Violet asked looking up at her husband.

"I hope for his sake he hasn't," Augustus said eyes towards the ceiling.

"Excuse me, the demon?" Lizzie asked.

"Claude," Augustus groaned.

A loud crash followed by a scream made Lizzie sit straight up, "What was that? I think I heard Beasly," she cried.

"That would be Claude, quickly now, if anything could drive that bee to sting, it would be that cat," Augustus hurried out of the room followed close behind by his wife and Lizzie.

They made it to the main entrance to see quite the sight. A white and very hairy cat was cornering the poor bee, one of his wings looked a bit damaged and was folded in on itself. The furry beast had a murderous gleam in his eyes; he shook as he readied to pounce.

"Bad cat! No bees for you!" Violet picked him up, much to his chagrin, and threw him outside as he hissed and scratched at her arms.

"Are you alright my bee?" Lizzie had him in her cupped hands as he began straightening out his wing.

"Bloody 'ell Lizzie! That cat almost took my wings off!" Beasly cursed.

"I wish we'd never listened to that artist," Augustus grumbled.

"What artist?" Lizzie asked.

"We hired an artist to paint that wonderful painting of Violet in the sitting room, but he wasn't satisfied with it. He thought it needed something, a cat," he said rolling his eyes.

"At first I loved the idea, I have always wanted a cat. He said that his cat had a litter and offered the one he called the prettiest. He was so gentle at first but then his true colors showed only two days after the artist left," Violet said crossing her arms.

"I would get rid of the thing but no one will take him!" Augustus cried, "So we are stuck with that cat for who knows how long."

"I'll try to avoid 'im from now on," Beasly said buzzing angrily, his wing looked a bit weird now but nothing he couldn't manage. He flew through the air a bit slower than usual but he was still glad he could.

"Come join us for tea Beasly, we'd love the company," Augustus asked giving a quick smile to Lizzie.

"Don't mind if I do, a nice chat will do me good. I think I've 'ad enough excitement for one day," he said shuddering at the thought of that cat.

* * *

><p>"I have some exciting news!" Violet announced at after dinner tea.<p>

"Do you think we should tell them now?" Augustus asked.

"What?" Beasly asked curious.

"Of course we should, they shouldn't have to wait much longer," Violet said taking her husband's hand.

"What!" Beasly cried.

"I'm pregnant, with a little baby girl," Violet's eyes welled with tears Lizzie ran to hug her and they began to chat excitedly.

"Congratulations," Bruno stood over Augustus who quickly stood up to shake his hand.

Beasly watched it all, almost as an outsider, he didn't know much about how to react to the news of a baby anymore. The only experience he had with one almost got him killed three times and it seemed to only end in tragedy. He could see Violet crying tears of joy with Lizzie and saw Bruno wipe his eyes once. He then understood why Violet wanted to tell him about all of Lizzie's predictions a week before, she knew it was beginning to come true.

"Beasly isn't just wonderful?" Violet cried to him, pulling him over and almost smothering him in a hug. And even with all he knew he couldn't help but smile too.

* * *

><p>"I'm completely hopeless Beasly," Violet sat, a hand protectively over her stomach, surrounded by books and stacks of paper.<p>

"Well, 'ow about this one, any good names in 'ere?" he pointed to a book that had fallen on the floor.

She strained herself to take a quick look at it under the table, "Already read through it, no names that feel right, you know?" She put her head back and closed her eyes, "I thought when Augustus said I could pick the baby's name that he was just the sweetest. But now I think he just couldn't come up with anything so he put it all on me!"

"That's not like 'im, I'm sure Augustus thinks you'll be better at it," Beasly said.

"I've got it!" Violet suddenly sat up, "Beasly!"

"What?" Beasly asked warily.

"I've been thinking, if I can't do it, and he can't do it, why not you?" She said.

"Me, pick out 'er name? You are entrusting the name of your daughter to me?" he asked shocked.

"Yes! I'm so glad you accept," she smiled.

"But I-," he started.

"I'll talk to Augustus, I'm sure he'll be fine with it, even thrilled, I'm counting on you Beasly!" Then she was gone, he had never seen her move so fast before.

"A name, and it 'as to be perfect," Beasly scratched his head, "I don't even know that many names to begin with! Expecting a bee to know the perfect 'uman name for your child, ridiculous!" He sat in that room all night, shuffling through papers and struggling to open books. It had gotten really late and he still sat there almost defeated, "What names do I know?" He tried to look through the names but they all sounded so foreign to him, and he understood what Violet meant by they didn't feel right too. "I'm the very worst at names!" he cried for the hundredth time that night. He sighed, it had even taken him forever to get used to the names of his friends, except of course Violet. "Wait, names I know, didn't I see?" he shuffled through the papers and found one with fifty or so names scrawled on it. "Lily, Rose, all flower names for 'umans! Names I know!" He then spent the next hour going through names of flowers but it was just so hard to decide which one, they all sounded perfect. Then it came to him.

The next morning Violet squealed with joy when Beasly told her the perfect name.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sure you all know what name he went with :) Hope you liked it! <strong>


	11. Play Mate

**Author's note: Just a warning, from this point on spoilers will be pretty common since we are getting closer to this story coinciding with the games. Also it may get a tad depressing for the next couple chapters. I never really realized this before, but before the games start a lot of terrible and sad things happen. Huh, the more you know I guess. Anyways enjoy. **

* * *

><p>"BEASLY!"<p>

The bee looked up from the violet he was tending to; he couldn't help but smile when he saw who it was.

"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASLY!"

They were running as fast as they could through the wild grass and into the garden. When they finally came to a stop they almost collapsed onto the violets and Beasly.

"Well 'ello there Flora," Beasly looked up at her not even raising his voice at her carelessness. What could he say? He had a rather big soft spot of the little toddler; she was almost three and half now.

"Beasly, I want to play!" She said in an almost sing-song voice.

"What? Couldn't Augustus come out to play?" he asked.

"No," she looked at her shoes, "He's looking after Mama she's still in bed."

"What about Aunt Lizzie and Bruno?" He asked changing the subject.

"They were in the tower discussing "grown up things" or something," she said crossing her arms, "And all of the villagers are either too busy or just want to solve puzzles."

"What fun can those rust-buckets be? I'll play with you," he said determined.

"Thank-you Beasly!" She held out one of her little fingers and he gladly took a seat. She raced off into the town passing by several villagers on the way. Bruno had built quite the town, so many residents had "moved in" that it almost felt real.

Flora came to an abrupt stop as they passed a tower, half-finished. She pointed to the sky a bit above the tower, "Daddy said Uncle Bruno is building me a playhouse at the very tippy-top!"

"That sounds great," Beasly smiled warmly, but had a twinge of sadness in his voice.

She nodded excitedly then continued on her journey. She finally stopped in front of the amusement park gates, her first birthday gift from Bruno.

"Oh, but I thought Bruno's busy, 'ow are we to work the rides?" Beasly asked.

"We're not going on the rides silly! I didn't actually bring you to play," she confessed, "I wanted to show you something." She pushed the gates open with some difficulty and slipped in. It was a bit eerie walking around the silent amusement park, Beasly thought. "Here it is!" she announced. Beasly flew of her finger and found that hidden behind the spinning teacups ride a small garden of violets was growing.

"You did this?" He asked surprised, "This is great!"

"I've been watching you do it forever," she said blushing a bit, "Do you mind I stole some violet seeds?"

"Of course not, but why didn't you just ask me to 'elp you grow them in the garden? More people would see them that way," he asked as he inspected each flower, each about to bloom.

"Because they are a surprise for Mama!" she said as if it was obvious, "So she gets better."

"Oh," he looked back at the little girl, so smart for her age, she was smiling.

"Do you think she'll get better?" she asked eyes wide.

"Of course!" he cried, "It's just the flu, she'll be up and about in no time. And I'm sure these will make 'er feel even better."

"Really?" she asked smile so wide her apple birthmark was showing up.

"Really." He said firmly, almost believing it himself.

"Come on let's go home now, and remember don't tell anyone! Promise?" She held out her pinkie finger to the bee.

"Promise," he said shaking the pinkie with all his might. As they left, Beasly watched the violets closely, almost protectively. He couldn't stop thinking about them the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>"I need to tell you all something," Lizzie stood up at the dinner table that night and took the hand of her husband who was seated next to her, "First I just wanted to say that dinner was delicious, please tell Ingrid she did a wonderful job."<p>

"Actually Augustus and I made it," Violet piped up, "I felt well enough to cook tonight."

"That's great Violet, I never knew you two were such great cooks," Bruno said rather surprised.

"Reinholds have always been known to be excellent cooks," Augustus said rather smugly. Beasly noticed Flora's big smile, if Violet could cook maybe she was on the mend.

"Anyway big news, Beasly and I are going on a trip!" She said smiling bright.

"We are?" Beasly asked.

"Yes, It is of vital importance that we do," she said.

"Vital importance?" Beasly questioned.

"I don't know what's happening but something really big is happening in four days, and I have a vision that puts both of us there and if we aren't I have a feeling something terrible will happen," Lizzie said firmly.

"A good big thing or a bad big thing?" Beasly asked.

"I don't know;" she said sadly, "let's hope the first."

"We were talking about it earlier and decided if it is that important then you should go," Bruno said standing up and kissing her, "I will miss you."

"I'll miss you two," she said then returned the kiss.

Beasly rolled his eyes and chuckled, "When are we leaving?"

"Oh!" Lizzie broke the kiss and turned to Beasly, "tomorrow, we have to get there as soon as possible remember? We only have four days to find this big, thing."

"Where exactly are we going?" Beasly asked.

"Why, London of course!" She said giggling, "the perfect place for something big to happen!"

"We will certainly miss you, don't be gone too long," Augustus said.

"Yeah!" Flora added, not wanting to be left out. She winked at Beasly and he winked back.

"I'll miss you too," he said landing on her shoulder and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, "Make sure to take care of you-know-what while I'm gone."

"I sure will!" She whispered back.

* * *

><p>Beasly sat in his room later that night contemplating the trip. Beasly didn't really have to pack anything; he was a bee after all. He had been worried, however, about the fact they were going to such a busy city. Lizzie tried to calm him down saying she'd keep him in her purse. But the thought of staying in that hot purse for four whole days made him want to gag. He'd rather be chased around the garden by that cat for four days. He sighed, but Lizzie said it was important so it had to be. He had to go. He sure would miss Violet, Bruno, Augustus, and especially Flora. But most of all be wondered what this future Lizzie saw for them was about. And that was worth that trip.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading, hope you liked it. If you did, send me a review. I always appreciate criticism and praise alike.<strong>


	12. Big Thing

"Nothing yet?" Beasly called up from her purse.

"Not so loud!" Lizzie whispered, "And yes, nothing big yet, but we've only been here a day, you can't expect it to happen immediately."

"Well if we are going to have to wait I'd like to eat!" he called just as loud.

She sighed, "There's a little café up ahead, do you want to stop here?"

"You know I can't see!" He cried, "But I suppose anything's good for me I'm famished!"

She stepped inside; a cute little bell twinkled announcing her presence. She was quickly seated and as secretly as she could, let Beasly out of her purse. He quickly hid in the bouquet of flowers on the table and watched Lizzie order.

"What would you like?" A young woman began taking her order.

"Two cups of tea, extra honey on the side for one, and two 'sandwiches of the day' please," she ordered squinting at the menu.

"Oh, are you expecting someone?" The waitress asked taking her menu.

"No," Lizzie said simply, not explaining herself.

"Oh okay," the waitress, a bit flustered, walked away.

Beasly sat on the edge of the vase, swaying back and forth, "This big thing is taking an awful long time to arrive."

"I said you have to be patient, It could happen any moment-oh," She turned her head and was staring at something, "I didn't think we'd see him for another few years."

"What, what?" Beasly asked, straining his neck to get a glimpse of what she saw. It was nothing spectacular, a young couple talking as they ate. The boy looked normal, black eyes, brown hair hidden under a red cap. The girl was defiantly pretty, with her beautiful long ginger hair and large brown eyes framed by a pair of glasses, "What about them?"

Lizzie sighed, "I wish this was the big thing." She said as the two shared a kiss, both blushing various shades of red.

"What's so special about them?" Beasly asked again.

"It's the man," she whispered, turning to Beasly, "He will play a real big role in your life, and you in his."

"A big role, eh?" He thought it over, "What is it?"

"I can't tell you," he expected her to giggle but she didn't, "I think I saw something else about him years ago, but I just can't remember," she said scrunching up her nose.

"I do remember something about a golden apple, but that's it" Beasly said, "Which I've been meaning to ask you about. Is it Flora?"

"That would make sense," she looked lost in thought, "but are you sure you don't remember anything else I said?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Why?" He asked.

"Because it might be important," she squeezed her eyes shut, "So very important."

"Here's your food," the waitress came by again dropping the two meals in front of Lizzie, unsure of what else to do with the extra.

She opened her eyes and looked to the waitress, "Oh thanks!"

"What's wrong Missy?" a waiter asked the waitress as she came back.

"That poor lady is talking to herself," Missy sighed watching Lizzie talk to the flowers.

* * *

><p>Three days passed and nothing of interest happened. On the fourth and final day there, they wondered the streets of London again well into the evening. "Nothing again," Beasly moaned. He was lying on the bottom of the purse almost asleep, bored out of his mind.<p>

"I don't understand, I thought the thing would've happened by now," Lizzie said.

"Maybe we missed it," Beasly called dismally from the purse.

"No way, we'd know if it happened," Lizzie said nodding her head.

"How do you know? You don't actually know what it is. Maybe it was a big thing that happened on the other side of London," he pointed out.

"You're right, we might have missed it," she said, "but that'd be disastrous, we needed to be there," she said with extra emphasis.

"Well maybe-,"

BOOM!

Beasly was cut off by an explosion so loud he was knocked around the purse. "Let me out I need to see!" He quickly pushed himself up and saw Lizzie staring across the street in horror. The top of a building had exploded and now fire spread to accompanying buildings.

"It was something bad," Beasly said looking at the flames in disbelief. They watched the ensuing chaos as people rushed out of the buildings and sirens echoed. Then Beasly noticed something, it was the man from earlier, wearing an almost ridiculous top hat. His eyes were now brimming with tears, Beasly looked up at the burning building again and remembered what Lizzie had predicted all those years ago, "Poor man," he said in a gravelly voice, "the lady 'as to die."

"Why were we supposed to be here?" Lizzie asked suddenly, she was crying herself.

"Maybe we were supposed to stop it," he said, "If only we had known what the big thing was."

"No, that couldn't have been it. No wait, there!" Lizzie ran across the street towards the burning buildings.

"Oi wait up!" Beasly yelled not at all worried about being seen.

"Where is it?" Lizzie was franticly looking through bushes right outside the building that had exploded.

"Lizzie we need to get out of 'ere!" Beasly said tugging as hard as he could on her shirt.

"Not yet, we are here for a reason!" she yelled through the roaring of the crowd. He saw he couldn't argue with her further and dove into the bush. He searched and searched until a bright light caught his eye.

"A p-puzzle?" He moved in closer, a little purple kitten was shivering in fear comforted by the little glowing light, "Well look at that, a puzzle keeping cat. Lizzie!" Beasly called, careful not to startle the kitten.

"Yes?" Lizzie moved until she found them, she smiled and carefully picked up the kitten and got him out of the bush, "Look at him, he's so adorable."

"Lizzie we need to move now!" Beasly called urgently. Lizzie ran away from the building and turned to see what Beasly was so worried about. Just then a flaming piece of the building fell crushing the bush.

"That was our part eh? If we didn't come, a puzzle keeping kitten would 'ave died," Beasly said, floating well out of the kitten's reach. He was a little cautious after his last run-in with a cat.

"That's all we could've done, no preventing this," Lizzie said sadly. Then the wailing started as loved ones were unable to be found. "Let's go home Beasly."

"Yes it's time we go 'ome." Beasly took one last look at the building; the fires were being put out with streams of water. He saw the top-hatted man finally leave; he hoped he'd be alright. _Until we meet again_, Beasly thought as Lizzie made her way back to their hotel.

* * *

><p><strong>We are now ten years from Unwound future in story. And unfortunately for Beasly, things don't get much easier. Thanks for reading, make sure to review if you liked it. <strong>


	13. Break-in

He remembered that day clearly, not that he wanted to. It happened a month after they had come back from their trip. They had since introduced a new family member, the little purple kitten that Violet had dubbed Keats. He could be found roaming the village collecting puzzles from the robots, he was a natural. Lizzie had also given up teaching him how to talk; he seemed persistent to keep his current language. Keats was sitting outside the door that day, almost like he was keeping watch.

Augustus was holding her hands and shook as he cried. Bruno was holding Lizzie as they cried into each other's shoulder. Flora was a mess at the end of the bed trying to shake her mother awake again. But Beasly found himself unable to cry as he sat inside a vase of wilted violets next to the bed. There he sat even after everyone else had left, and fell asleep as he finally began to cry.

* * *

><p>"There, yes, I'm sure," Beasly said flying back to see if it looked alright, "Isn't this the perfect spot?" He added softly. He had to move his sunflower deeper in the cave, but it was worth it.<p>

"She really loved flowers," Augustus said to Beasly, "So, so much," he began to cry again.

"I know," Beasly said. Augustus had to leave, Beasly didn't blame him. He floated up to the very life like statue and placed a hand on her face, "There Violet, the whole garden just for you."

* * *

><p>"Oh where could Flora be?" Beasly buzzed, looking around the garden, "Ah ha!" He dove behind the statue revealing the crouching girl.<p>

"I thought you wouldn't check here this time," she said giggling, "Now I'm gonna get you!" She then began chasing the bee around the cave. Beasly hardly left the garden anymore and was gladly joined by Flora who was too frightened to stay at home. He would have loved to go home more and see his friends, but then he would be greeted with heartache.

"Can we take a break?" Beasly asked panting.

"Okay, but can we do something else?" Flora asked.

"Sure, as long as it involves some sitting down," Beasly said landing on her shoulder.

"I've always wanted to learn how to cook, just like Mommy and Daddy used to," she said determined, "will you teach me?"

"Sure," Beasly said smiling warmly, "I know all about cooking," he fibbed.

"Then let's go," Flora raced off, Beasly envied her energy, "I can't wait, I want to be the best cook ever!"

* * *

><p>"I had to, he begged me," Bruno set his tool belt down on the floor and collapsed into a chair, "he's my best friend and I just couldn't say no."<p>

"I know dear but look at us, we haven't been to dinner with him in a week, and we promised we would visit after we moved here" Lizzie said sweeping the floor slowly and thoughtfully, "It is even driving poor Flora away."

"I know, I feel just terrible, especially after what I had to do," he said closing his eyes and frowning, "Giving that all to her then taking it away. Why is all this happening?" That was one question Lizzie's clairvoyance couldn't answer.

"My poor Claudia," the woman smothered the cat at the dinner table, "That bee scared the living daylights out of her!"

"I'm sure that's not what happened my dear," Augustus said.

"And they almost destroyed the kitchen," she began squeezing the living daylights out of poor Claude, "I think it's bad for her to spend all that time with that bee and away from us." Even though she sounded livid, she looked hurt.

Augustus took her hand and smiled sadly, "it's okay my dear Dahlia you know how much Flora loves us, she's just going through a hard time." Lady Dahlia frowned in response as she continued to fawn over the poor cat. Augustus sighed, a little sorry for the little demon, and looked at his new wife's face. Although it looked exactly like Violet's, it just wasn't the same.

* * *

><p>"You should go back 'ome, it is getting dark," Beasly said softly.<p>

"I don't want to!" Flora wrapped her arms around her knees as she sat among the flowers.

"It gets cold out 'ere at night, you'll be warm and safe at 'ome," Beasly persisted.

"But she'll be there," Flora sniffed.

"Will you go if I promise to go with you?" Beasly said landing on her shoulder. She nodded and slowly stood back up. She walked somberly back home, making sure no one saw her come in. Beasly saw her safely to bed and rested outside her door. Smiling sadly, he kept his promise.

He was just closing his eyes when he heard a floor-board creek, "It's that darned cat," he muttered. He flew to the other room to check when he came face to face with the bottom of a glass jar.

"Got it!" A man whispered, it was so dark that Beasly couldn't see what he looked like.

"How much do you think a talking bee will get us?" a women's voice asked.

"More than any little trinket we were going to steal," the man answered tossing the sealed jar into his bag. Suddenly a figure leaped from the darkness and the man yowled in pain. Claude screeched after tearing at the man's legs.

Lights switched on and shouts could be heard of people coming to check on the ruckus. "Let's leave now!" The women demanded. Beasly slid up and down the jar as the bag swung to and fro. He could just barely see the cat smiling smugly and Beasly whispered a quick thank you. Hopefully Claude's intervention had given his friends more time. He could only hope.

* * *

><p><strong>Review<strong> **if you have the time, I'd love to hear from you! -Macy **


	14. Fair Trade

Crow was a very busy man.

Well he wasn't quite yet a man, but that didn't matter he was still very busy. Two bozos, obviously thieves, were trying to pitch their wares to him.

"It's a fair trade; you'll never find anything like it!" One, a man, kept babbling on. Crow sighed and began pulling at his scarf.

"It's a miracle of nature!" A woman butted in.

"Can you prove it?" He said leaning in at the two.

"Well um, prove it? Why should we?" The woman's voice grew shrill.

Crow rolled his eyes, how those two ever passed his test was beyond him. Crow was busy, too busy in fact to listen to these two idiots any longer. Talking bees? Ridiculous. "If you are going to continue wasting my time, please leave."

"No! We'll prove it," the man pulled a jar from his backpack and handed it Crow. He held it carefully; they had a bee in the jar alright. It looked pitiful, it was slumped slightly against the walls of the jar and one wing was folded over. When Crow lifted the jar up to his face the bee stirred blinking rapidly as if it hadn't been out in the sun for a long time.

"Well?" Crow said handing the jar back.

"It talks I swear!" The man said shaking the jar, "he wants to be the ruin of us so he always refuses!"

"How long have you had that bee?" Crow usually thought of his business first and foremost, but he'd always had a soft spot for all types of creatures. He had to admit he felt slightly squeamish seeing the poor thing rattled around.

"Four maybe five years, does it matter?" The lady said crossing her arms.

He squinted his eyes and tugged on his scarf one last time, "Fine it's a deal."

The two tossed the jar at him and ran off with the painting he had offered. He had a feeling he wouldn't see those two again as he gingerly carried the jar backstage.

"What's that?" Tweed stumbled in, a lollipop stuck in his mouth.

"A bee," Crow answered, "a talking one."

"Really?' Tweed asked, eyes growing wide.

"Probably not, but I traded one of those new paintings Scraps dug up the other day for it," Crow looked intently at the bee. It was sitting up now, wings buzzing softly now. It was looking intently at him.

"That was silly of you," Marilyn strolled in carrying the black raven costume.

"More people already? Tweed whined.

"Three of them, the Mayor's son, a lady in yellow, and a man with a ridicules top hat," she said.

"A top 'at?" the voice was small; it cracked a bit but had an unmistakable accent.

The ravens slowly turned, all with their eyes and mouths wide open.

* * *

><p>"It's nice to see you back Keats," the cat wandered in and sat down, "I haven't found anything new, I tracked them this far, and now they've disappeared," Lizzie paced back and forth. The purple cat's eyes followed her. Lizzie was never one to give up easily, especially when it came to her friends. She had followed those thieves halfway across the country. She had only been home a few times in the past five years and it broke her heart that Beasly couldn't be there. Flora was hysterical for a while. Now she hated being alone for even a minute, she didn't want anyone to leave her ever again. Augustus worried himself into sickness but always put on a strong face around Dahlia and Flora.<p>

Bruno, oh her Bruno, was understanding but she knew he wished she was home more. He spent his days tinkering in the tower he had built while Flora played around him. He stopped going outside as much because he was afraid the robots would recognize their creator. Whenever she was around Augustus and Bruno would go off while she watched Flora. She was suspicious but never stayed around long to question it.

Keats meowed, "I've already tried looking to the future, and it just doesn't make any sense! Bright lights and butterflies, it's all I see," Lizzie responded as if he had asked. She stopped and looked out the window, it was him. She smiled, "He's not supposed to see me is he? Oh but I'll make sure he doesn't, you can cover for me can't you?" The cat meowed in indifference, "Emmy's coming in, on second thought I probably shouldn't mention I know her name."

* * *

><p>"Was that him Beasly?" Crow asked.<p>

"Definitely, though much, much older," His voice hadn't quite come back yet.

"Then why didn't you let me tell him you were here?" he asked.

"Because I don't know if he's supposed to meet me yet," The bee sat on the jar breathing in the fresh air.

"I still don't understand, but you're a talking bee, I don't think I'll ever understand," Crow said leaning up against a table.

"It's a very long story," he sighed, "but in short he's going to play a big role in my life, and my friend's, so if I can follow him, but not let him know I am, I might find my friend."

"Well um sir, you are welcome to stay here as long as you want," Crow said.

"That's too formal, call me Beasly."

* * *

><p>"Is there something I can help you with?" Crow looked slyly at the man, he was wearing ridiculous clothing, though he was very wealthy looking.<p>

"A man with a top hat, he came here didn't he? " The man said in an agitated voice.

"So what if he did?" Crow asked gears turning in his head.

"I am a friends of his, and was just wondering if he had stopped by," the man said, though he didn't seem like he was lying Crow couldn't help but feel this wasn't quite true.

"Well I have just the thing for you," He went backstage and returned with a glass jar, "He was very interested in it, if you really are his friends maybe you'd be good enough to deliver it."

"Of course," He said with a bit of acid in his voice. The ginger man didn't want to be here in the first place, if only his companion hadn't blown his cover he could find the information out himself. He took the jar and watched it intently as he left, almost smiling at the little bee flying around.

"Good bye Beasly," Crow said almost to himself and sighed, pulling on his scarf. He couldn't dwell on Beasly for long though he had a market to run.

Crow was, after all, a very busy man.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow it has been a while, I hope to catch back up though because we are nearing the end about five or six chapters and I'll be done telling the tale cut short by a fly swatter. If you liked it, or even if you didn't, comment to tell me what you liked, or didn't. I really appreciated. -Macy<strong>

**(Edit: Author is dumb and forgot the whole plot to the first Professor Layton game she ever played so the ending has been changed)**


	15. Brilliant

Beasly missed the black ravens; they were fun and loved solving the puzzles Beasly attracted. This one was disappointing. He had strange clothes but that was the only interesting thing Beasly could find about him. Whenever he was home, if that hotel room was his home, he was hunched over several pieces of paper scribbling furiously on them. Other than that he did little else besides sleep and eat. Sometimes the poor sap forgot to even accomplish those basic tasks. No matter how dull his current owner was, no matter how much he missed those smart kids, Beasly could stand it because that was his best shot at seeing Lizzie again. He wanted to see her more than anything else in the world.

He often thought of home when with those awful bandits. He wondered how Augustus was holding up and regretted that he never tried to speak with him after Dahlia "moved in". He even hid from him when he visited his late wife's grave in the garden. His thoughts would then move to dear Flora, which hurt him most of all, he had tried to keep his promise to Violet but it seemed impossible then. Bruno was probably tinkering away on his machines, trying to keep from worrying and be strong for Lizzie. Oh Lizzie, she would be out of her mind. But he knew she wouldn't give up on him. "I will find you, I promise." He made this promise hoping he would be better at keeping it.

"How dare they," the man muttered, Beasly rolled his eyes. The man was always muttering to himself about betrayal and some girl dumping him. It was amusing at first but it was all he ever talked about. Beasly wondered if the man ever did anything other than whine. How this man had enough money to live in such a hotel was beyond Beasly. The idiot probably inherited a fortune so then he could spend his days writing love letters to girls who only dated him for his money and dumped him because he was too clingy. Making up stories about his host was all Beasly had to pass the time. How he wished there were puzzles for him to solve.

* * *

><p>Beasly's wish came true not one day later. As a puzzle keeper, lost puzzles always seemed to have a natural attraction to Beasly. Whenever he went out he'd pick up a few strays and bring them home. He was worse than Mary when she was growing up! Even in the hotel room, who knows how many floors up, a few puzzles squeezed under the door and danced around Beasly. They were making all sorts of noises. Beasly tried to shush them as to not wake up his host who had finally gone to sleep after two days without it. One got so excited to find a keeper that it raced through the air smashing into a vase and toppling it.<p>

"Who's there?" The drowsy voice of the man asked. Beasly sighed; the man probably had never seen much less solved a puzzle before, how on earth would he be able to keep them contained? He sat up and walked over to the side table on which Beasly's jar sat. The puzzles floating around him turned and started to examine the man.

"Puzzles?" Beasly's couldn't believe his ears the man finally spoke about something other than his girlfriend, and it was about puzzles too, "I haven't seen one in weeks, how about this one," he reached out and touched one it immediately turned into a scroll. He glanced at it for a moment then said, "None." In an instant the puzzle turned back into a globe of light and flew off leaving a sizable amount of picarats. Beasly watched in amazement as all the puzzles were solved in a little under a minute. Something had changed about the man. It wasn't only that he proved to be smarted than Beasly had expected, it was his whole face. It lit up in awe of the puzzles, and his eyes held the same curiosity as someone solving their first puzzle. He even smiled, not the cruel smile Beasly saw when he was writing whatever it was, it was a real smile.

But then Beasly saw then man retreat back into the miserable creature he had been forced to watch the past couple of weeks. The man's eyes dulled and he began to gripe about how he couldn't trust anyone. Beasly was filled with rage, a kind he hadn't really felt before. How could this man be friends with someone Lizzie said was so very important?

"You!" Beasly cried.

The man was startled, "Who's there?"

"Me you big idiot!" Beasly yelled.

"The bee's talking?" He moved closer to the jar, eyes wide. Beasly thought it was fear at first but he looked, well, fascinated.

"I can't believe you, spending weeks on end muttering to yourself, starving and losing sleep on something stupid," he said exasperated.

"It's not stupid! I was betrayed by my own friends!" he said too angry to remember who he was even arguing with.

"Your friends? I wouldn't want to be friends with the likes of you," he spat, "You aren't going to win them over by 'iding out 'ere," he said yelling, he suddenly quieted down, "You're brilliant, you could go and see your friends again or even make new ones don't waste your chance. Because you never know when they'll be taken from you."

"You don't understand, you're, you're a bee!" He said realizing what was happening.

"Maybe you aren't brilliant," Beasly used the man's shock to escape, the ravens had made him an escape route just in case the man didn't take him to the top hatted man. Beasly knew that if this man was ever friends with the top hatted man, he wasn't anymore.

Randall stood there extremely puzzled by the bee and didn't even move to stop it from slipping under the door off to who knew where. But under that curiosity a rage broke through, how dare the bee call him an idiot? How dare he call him brilliant? "Brilliant," he realized suddenly thinking of all the puzzles that bee watched him solve. He almost smiled a bit thinking on them. Maybe he would have been moved by the bee's mostly rude words, but in that moment a masked man walked in and all that disappeared.

* * *

><p><strong>I tried to mix it up a bit since most chapters have been pretty dialog heavy. Hope you liked it, next time we'll find out if Beasly can make it in the crowded streets of Monte d'Or while people turn to stone around him. <strong>

**-Macy**


	16. Reunion Inn

"Reunion Inn?" Beasly said staring at the sign, "so that's where e's been keeping me all this time." He quickly flew behind the sign as several tourists passed by. He sighed and began rethinking leaving the man and the warm, safe hotel room. "That wasn't going to get you anywhere, Beasly. You were going mad," He sighed again, "And now you're talking to yourself. Well, Lizzie always said that I could find a way to speak my mind in an empty room." He slipped out from behind the sign and flew toward the bright, almost blinding, lights of the city.

* * *

><p>He flew through the busy streets zipping about from hat to hat. At first he was afraid people would notice him, but everyone seemed preoccupied. As he looked closer, they looked more agitated, scared even. "What's wrong with these people?" He said to himself, not worried about anyone hearing him. He could hardly hear himself over the loud music and shouts of the people. He landed on another lady's hat, hiding in the extravagant feathers that decorated the hat.<p>

"If Lizzie's clairvoyance is working, she should 'ave seen this place by now, I've been 'ere ages," he said, "But 'ow would she go about finding me or me 'er?" He moved on to the next hat, a tall one to be sure.

"Look at the acrobats Professor!" a voice sounded from somewhere below him. Beasly looked at the small boy, he seemed very familiar.

"Oh, 'e was with the top 'atted man back in the black market," Beasly said quietly to himself. He then looked around him and realized just where he sat, "I'm on top of the 'atted man!" It seemed that good for nothing probably wasting away back in the hotel room actually got him to where he needed to be. "If Lizzie sees 'im she'll know I'd go right for 'im," Beasly said finally feeling hopeful again.

He rested on the brim of the hat and thought he'd be able to get a little shut eye. Just as he closed his eyes he felt a light shine right in his face. "What in the blazes?" he opened an eye and saw a puzzle trying to wake him up, "No, no, shoo! Find Lizzie! You'll draw attention to me!" It almost looked confused.

"Professor, your hat," Beasly turned his head in dread; a woman in yellow was staring straight at him.

"What about it Emmy?" The top hatted man asked.

Beasly quickly shook his head and put a finger to his lips, what if they weren't supposed to meet yet? She squinted her eyes and seemed to smirk a bit, "You've attracted a puzzle," she reached for it and handed the light to the top hatted man, or Professor as Beasly noticed they were all calling him. Beasly watched as the Professor finished the puzzle in no time flat. It reminded him a bit of the grumpy ginger man. The puzzle flew off and the Professor pocketed the picarats.

"Thank you Emmy," He tipped his hat slightly startling Beasly and leaving him a bit shaken up.

Emmy winked at the bee and started bickering with the boy about assistants or apprentices, maybe both. Beasly sighed for the third time that day, he could finally get some shut eye now that he had someone watching over him.

He felt like he had only been asleep seconds when he was jerked awake by a booming voice, "One, Two, Three, Four, Did you miss me Monte d'Or?"

It didn't take Beasly long to recognize the voice; he had been forced to listen to it for months. It was the man from the hotel room. "How could 'e be bothering me 'ere?" Beasly asked despairing, "I thought I'd left 'im for good!" He tried to drown out the sound but soon noises erupted all around Beasly, it was chaos. He held tight on the Professor's hat, the Professor was racing around and adding to the noise. It was hard to see anything and he didn't think he could trust his eyes either. He thought he saw people turned to stone!

All at once everything hurt. He was on the ground, unsure how he even got there. He thought he felt the professor drop to the ground and as he rolled Beasly couldn't hold on. He crashed on the ground and could hear people stomping around him. His immortality was not comforting; he knew he couldn't move and that soon he was going to be smashed. He closed his eyes, and whispered, "Oh Violet, I do miss you, but what about Flora?"

"Not today bee," he opened his eyes and looked up, the yellow lady was smiling at him, "Sorry but it's about to get a bit jumpy!" She placed him in a bag along with what Beasly thought was a camera. True to her word it did get jumpy, he thought he heard the nay of horses and also the ginger man's voice. But he was disoriented and hurt all over. He passed out, almost rocked to sleep by the bumpy ride.

* * *

><p>"Are you okay?" Beasly blinked waking up; he was not sure how long he had slept. His first sight was the yellow lady. He nodded slowly to answer the question; his head was pounding too hard to speak.<p>

"I haven't told the Professor, but you really should meet him and Luke too. He loves animals and can even understand them." She explained.

He almost laughed; oh the boy would be able to understand him alright. He shook his head no to the girl.

"First a mouse, and now a bee, I never thought I'd get these kinds of surprises from animals when I became the Professor's assistant," she chuckled, "Now I didn't wake you up to harass you, I need to see if a hunch of mine is correct." She opened up her bag again, "hop in." He wished he could tell her how much he hated sitting in the bottom of bags, but apparently the look on his face told her everything she needed to know. "You can ride on my shoulder if that's preferable, you must understand I've never transported a bee before."

He smiled just a little and flew as best he could onto her shoulder. He was still hurt so she helped him along. "We really must hurry; the Professor will wake up soon and wonder where I went."

She left the room she was in and traveled down the steps, making sure Beasly was steady. "This is the Dromedary Hotel, we're staying here while solving a mystery," she explained, "We're going to stop that masked man who almost got you squashed." Beasly rolled his eyes; he could have guessed it was all that man's fault. He wished he could tell her about him, but not only did it hurt to talk, he found that he actually couldn't speak. That worried him, if he couldn't call out to Lizzie, how could he find her?

"Hello, I believe we talked yesterday," The yellow girl said. Beasly was confused, who was she talking too? "You said he was an interesting friend."

"My bee?"

He longed to call out to her but he settled for flying straight for her. They embraced as much as they could without hurting him.

"My famous intuition was correct," the girl in yellow smiled.

"No hello for an old friend you haven't seen in what, four, five years?" Lizzie said, tears flowing behind the butterfly mask she had on. He motioned to his throat and shrugged his shoulders. "You not talking? The last time you were this quiet was when you had been hurt by those crooks all those years ago," her eyes widened, "No, I promised I'd never let you get hurt again."

"He got a bit roughed up, but I saved him in the nick of time," the lady said.

"I can never thank you enough Emmy," Lizzie said cradling Beasly in her hands.

"I was just helping out, no need to thank me. But if you wouldn't mind I need to ask you a question," Emmy said.

"Go ahead, anything," Lizzie said.

"You are the lady from the shack; I know that," Emmy began, "What I don't understand is why are you trying to hide from the Professor? Both you and the bee seem to be trying to get close to the Professor but all without him knowing it. That's how I guessed the bee might be the unusual friend you mentioned when I interviewed you."

"He can't know who I am yet;" she said almost sadly, "the time is coming though. " She looked lovingly at Beasly, "I've known for over fifty years just when he needs to meet me and when Beasly will meet him. It has to work out that way."

"You talk like you can see the future," Emmy said.

"Emmy, it's almost time," Lizzie said with that far-away look in her eye, "we all have exits and entrances it seems, especially when that man is concerned. You understand?"

"I do," she said and nodded to Lizzie, "Goodbye Ma'am and goodbye bee, glad I could help. I'll see you whenever there's a puzzle we need found."

"Of course, what else are we puzzle keepers for?" Lizzie smiled and Beasly fell fast asleep, feeling safe for the first time in years.

* * *

><p><strong>A longer chapter this time around because I felt their meeting should have a bit of a build up. Sorry If Emmy is not quite in character, I wasn't quite sure how to write her. <strong>

**I know Azran is the next game but I have yet to play it since I just got it, (also my sister gets to play it first) so I will probably just skip over it and head to the first trilogy. That's whats coming up, so stay tuned!**

**-Macy**


	17. Goodbyes

**Happy Anniversary! This story is now two years old today, I can hardly believe it. I just noticed earlier this week and decided to write a special chapter to celebrate the occasion. Thank you to everyone following this story no matter how long, it has been great!**

–**Macy**

* * *

><p>"I finally get my voice back after a week sitting in this 'otel collecting puzzles for Professor Top 'at and all I get is sand down my throat!" Elizabeth rolled her eyes; Beasly was back to normal all right. She really had missed Beasly, even his seemingly constant complaints, "and it's all that ginger's fault!"<p>

"You're starting to sound obsessed with the man Beasly," Lizzie said as she packed away her little house.

"You didn't spend days on end listening to him gripe only to 'ave 'im try and destroy the city I finally found you in," Beasly said, his turn to roll his eyes, "If I never see 'im again it'll be too soon."

"Too soon," Lizzie said cheerfully.

"Excuse me?" It was a man's voice that responded.

"You're here too soon," Lizzie said giggling, "according to my friend here you're stuck coming too soon forever."

"I'm sorry?" He replied unsure, "My friend told me I could find some puzzles here, we are having a party and it wouldn't be right without some."

"My friend will fetch them for you," she said still giggling between words.

"Oi! I refuse to find puzzle for 'im," Beasly flew to her shoulder and defiantly sat down, crossing his arms.

"It's that bee!" Randall said looking at him with wonder.

"Yes it is, he really must thank-you for all you did for him," Lizzie said bowing a bit, "I certainly am indebted to you."

"I don't owe 'im any thanks!" Beasly said.

"For what?" Randall asked.

"If it weren't for you my friend and I would still be separated," she said dramatically, "we must find a way to repay you."

"No need, I didn't really do anything," He said a bit embarrassed.

"Aha, I know," She and grabbed his arm, she began pulling him towards the door.

"No really it's fine," Randall said trying to stop her.

"Don't disobey your elders," Lizzie said proudly and continued her path unwavering.

"I wouldn't bother with it, once she gets her mind set on something, she won't change it," Beasly said giggling a bit now too.

"It's such an amazing coincidence we were all here at the same time!" Randall said looking back and forth from his friends and Lizzie.

"Isn't it just," Lizzie said winking at Beasly, "I'm glad we were able to get you to where you needed to be, from the looks of all this hair, a cut was overdue," Lizzie giggled again and went on sweeping.

Randall moved away from his friends and confronted the bee, "I'm sorry about anything I might have done, but I'm glad I was able to help you meet your friend again."

"I suppose I forgive you," Beasly said refusing to make eye contact.

"Perhaps we'll meet again?" he offered.

"Maybe, as long as you promise to stay brilliant," Beasly glanced at him then looked away again quickly.

"I do. You two really must stay, we'll be meeting my other friends soon for a party," Randall explained, "I'm sure there will be puzzles a plenty."

"No, there is somewhere I need to be," Beasly said strongly, "I've got a promise to keep."

"I understand, I'll keep my promises, and you keep yours," Randall said and offered his hand for a shake.

Beasly took a finger and shook it as best he could, "Will do. Goodbye, you idiot."

* * *

><p>She was shaking, so much so that her father tried to hold her steady. He was failing because he was nervous too. "I think I see them!" she cried.<p>

"Really?" A man from the gathered crowed asked.

"I'm so glad master Beasly is returning," a little old lady spoke up, "I've missed setting his place at the table."

"Here they come, Franco get the drawbridge!" she cried. A short man nodded and began tuning a crank; it made an awful noise and almost got stuck halfway down.

"One of these days this crank is going to break," the man named Franco muttered under his breath.

"Such a big welcome? For little old me?" Beasly said flying just in front of Lizzie.

"Beasly!" Flora rushed towards him tackling him to the ground, she smiled so much so that her birthmark showed.

"Don't kill me, I've only just arrived," he said but laughed anyway.

He was soon surrounded by all the townspeople; even the robots had missed his boisterous personality. Flora still held him close, but she rushed from person to person so they could all exchange greetings with the bee.

"Beasly my old friend," Augustus smiled wide, "we've missed you more than anything."

"I missed you all too," he looked to the ground, "I 'ave to apologize after she moved in I didn't talk to you I was upset-" Beasly said tears welling up.

"Don't apologize. I don't fault you for being upset, as long as we can talk like friends again." He said smiling smaller but somehow he seemed happier.

"I'd like that," Beasly said quickly drying his eyes.

"Lizzie darling how nice it is to see you too," Augustus took her hand and kissed it.

"How is he?" she asked in a low tone.

"Anxiously awaiting you in the tower," Augustus nodded towards the large imposing building.

"Oh, the tower 'as been completed eh?" Beasly said gazing at it.

"Yep!" Flora responded cheerfully, "Come and play with me, he finished my room. It looks so cool and it has lots of puzzles."

"There will be time for that later," Augustus said, he raised his voice so all could hear, "for now, we have prepared a city wide party for your return!" The crowd cheered and moved toward the village. The whole place was filled with decorations from balloons to streamers. Shop doors were wide open and the smell of all kinds of food drifted through the air. Beasly could distinctly smell lots and lots of honey. Soon music began playing, a lively tune.

"All of this for me?" Beasly said in awe.

"Of course, I wanted this to be special, it has to be special," Augustus said almost sounding serious.

"You all do too much for me," he shook his head and joined the celebration.

* * *

><p>"And this is my cousin Simon," Flora took Beasly to a thin man who bowed, "he moved here recently," she winked a bit at Beasly, "Daddy invited him and the rest of her family for Lady Dahlia." She crinkled her nose mentioning that name.<p>

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" A girl piped up.

"Oh sorry! Beasly this is my friend Lucy," Flora put her arm around her friend, "She moved here with her grandfather soon after you left."

"It is nice to meet you miss," Beasly smiled for her but soon sighed, Bruno had really outdone himself. A whole town of robots many of which he just met. He was glad Bruno thought of Flora and made her new friends, she had been so terribly lonely even before he left.

"Come on Beasly, are you listening? Crouton made all kinds of food for you, let's go!" Flora said pulling him along.

"Sorry Flora I was just thinking, how is your father?" Beasly asked starting to put it all together.

"He's fine, he's been playing with me every day," She responded.

"I was just wondering, that's good to hear," Beasly said still not completely at ease.

* * *

><p>It got later and later into the night but the party was still going on. In the town square in front of the large clock tower, couples danced to a slower song as the younger kids ran around their legs. Beasly watched Flora and Lucy sitting on a doorstep whispering secrets and giggling occasionally.<p>

Beasly sat on the Baron's shoulder silently watching the people sway to the music. Beasly finally broke the silence, "Where's Dahlia Augustus, I 'aven't seen 'er all night."

"She doesn't do crowds," he shrugged. Beasly nodded like he understood.

"Are you alright?" Beasly asked, he had felt him falter a bit as if he was about to fall over.

"Yes, yes, I feel better than I have in years. I'm just so happy Beasly," he said thoughtfully.

"That's good to 'ear," Beasly relaxed and closed his eyes, "It's been a long night."

"It has," Augustus replied. They stayed silent for a little while longer until Augustus spoke up again, "Do you remember the night we first met?"

"Of course, that was only what thirty years ago?" Beasly laughed, "You were such a young frail thing."

"I know I've put on a bit of weight since then," Augustus said jokingly.

"You know what I meant," Beasly thought for a moment then replied, "you were dreadfully boring too."

"Thanks," he laughed, "I hope I understood what you meant there."

"Wait for the rest, I thought you were dreadfully boring but you proved me wrong," Beasly said with his eyes still closed picturing that day, "after you solved that puzzle I knew we could get along. I never could 'ave dreamed we'd be friends for so long. Not just friends, we're family. We all are, no matter how far away I went I never forgot that. I never stopped missing my family."

"Thank you Beasly, you've always been family to me. I love all of you, lovely Lizzie always trying to help out, my oldest friend Bruno doing everything he can for me, my darling Flora who always brings me such joy whenever she smiles, and you Beasly, you wonderful, proud, blunt, but so loving bee. I'm so glad I got to see you one last time," he said tearfully.

"Augustus?" Beasly sat up opening his eyes, everything finally clicking together.

"Goodbye," Augustus couldn't stand any longer and collapsed.

"Augustus!" Beasly screamed.

"Daddy!" Flora started screeching and the music came to an abrupt stop. Time seemed to slow as everyone rushed to the spot Augustus had fallen. Beasly felt sick and could keep airborne. He slowly floated to the ground and watched the ensuing chaos.

"No, he can't be," he whispered and began to cry.

* * *

><p>"Beasly? Are you there?" Lizzie's voice was more reserved than usual, "the letter is going out, and I thought you might want to know."<p>

The cave of flowers offered no response.

"I put the puzzle you suggested in," she again got nothing more than silence, "oh Beasly this is Flora we're talking about please respond!" She cried.

"Augustus always wanted to make 'er smile." The voice finally replied slowly, it sounded old and worn, "It's been so long since I've seen 'er smile. If 'e can find that golden apple, I trust him."


	18. Braids

**Just a quick warning, I did finish Azran this week so I put in a reference or two which are spoilers so I just wanted to warn anyone who isn't done, I totally understand if you have to skip this chapter till later I don't think it will affect the overall story if you do so.**

* * *

><p>Beasly was rather proud of Flora. It had been her idea in the first place, but shame on her for growing up without him. Still, he could tell there was still some resentment emanating from her as they stood outside of the door waiting for the storm to pass. Apparently Simon had dropped a very expensive antique tea set and a commotion soon followed.<p>

"It's not my fault," he almost whined, "I've been tired lately! I couldn't quite get a good grip on it."

"That is no excuse," sounded the shrill voice of the woman they were here to see, "I expect full repayment for everything broken. Oh my poor Claudia, how you've frightened her!"

"Sorry Lady Dahlia," said Simon, Beasly could hear him shuffle toward the door. He opened it and quickly left, stopping to bow to Flora on his way out.

"You may come in," She said once he was gone.

Flora marched in, she held her shoulders back but she still shook a bit, obviously nervous. Beasly floated in behind her and sat on top of a fake plant as Flora sat in the center of a couch opposite the sitting chair Dahlia was resting in.

Dahlia was wearing a blood red dress and her face was covered in makeup. Her hands were busy keeping poor Claude prisoner. The cat looked up at him with big eyes and Beasly could help but feel indebted to him for trying to stop the robbers all those years ago.

"Lady Dahlia y'know Claude, um, Claudia gets antsy when I'm around," Beasly said searching for the right thing to say, "Maybe you should let 'im out, for 'er sake."

"You're right, I don't want you scaring my darling," she said gently placing the cat down. The cat nodded once to Beasly and bolted. The two were finally even.

After that was cleared up there was a painfully long silence. Everyone tried to avoid eye contact with the others. Finally Dahlia spoke hesitantly, "How is Elizabeth?"

"I 'aven't 'eard from 'er since she left," Beasly admitted, "She took Keats with 'er and said something about mud baths." Beasly wished she was here now to lighten up the atmosphere a bit. Beasly assumed her absence had something to do with the letter to that man she sent. He hadn't replied yet which Beasly thought was strange. Lizzie had waved it off saying he was busy at some family reunion type thing and he wouldn't get anywhere without a puzzle keeper.

"That's good." Dahlia said and the silence slowly crept back. It was agonizing but nobody could think of anything to say.

"You look lovely today Ma'am," Flora finally said, bless her Beasly thought.

"Thank you Flora," Dahlia said, Beasly could see her slowly loosen up and fiddle with her dress, "So do you. Is that the dress I got you for your birthday?"

"Yes Ma'am," Flora replied fussing with her clothes too, she wore a pretty orange dress with white trim and she had her hair tied back in a ponytail.

More silence followed.

"Your hair," Dahlia suddenly blurted.

"Yes?" Flora asked sitting up even straighter.

"May I, Can I, I mean, your hair," Dahlia was getting flustered, she finally sighed, "May I braid your hair?"

Flora looked surprised but quickly nodded. Dahlia stood up and sat beside her. Flora turned as best she could to the side so her back was facing Dahlia. Dahlia's hand hesitated before finally gingerly taking out Flora's ponytail. She took a brush and carefully made her way through Flora's hair with the utmost care. Once she was done her small delicate hands went to work, she started out slow but soon got into the rhythm.

Beasly watched in amazement as the two women sat there never exchanging any words. He could tell there was something there even if they never said it. Was it love? Was it more like an understanding? He wasn't sure. But he did see a faint smile come onto Flora's face and even more surprisingly Dahlia had a small smile of her own without even realizing it.

Dahlia finally stood up and went to fetch a mirror, "Do you like it?" She asked holding the mirror up for her to see.

"Yes, very much," Flora said admiring the fishtail braid masterfully done in her hair, "Thank you Ma'am."

"You may call me Dahlia, if you want, I don't mind," She said quickly as she sat back down.

"Thank you Dahlia," Flora said.

"Excuse me my Lady," Matthew interrupted the small moment, "but Flora's presence has been requested by Miss Lucy."

Flora looked to Dahlia who nodded, "You are excused."

Flora stood to leave but paused before leaving the room, "May I come to dinner, M-, Dahlia?"

"Yes, you are always welcome," Dahlia said. Flora left leaving the bee and the widow alone.

"Beasly?" Dahlia looked at the bee as if she was forgetting something, "I must ask you something."

"Anything my lady," Beasly said moving to the table beside her chair.

"I can't quite remember but, flowers, it had something to do with flowers," she said concentrating.

"Flowers?" Beasly asked.

"Yes, violets, there are some in your garden," she said looking like she almost had it, "how are they fairing?"

"They look lovely this time of year," he said, "If you want I can bring you some."

"I would like that," she said after a long pause, "You may leave if you wish to."

"Thank you Lady Dahlia," Beasly bowed to her and flew off, oddly he found himself smiling.

The baroness sat alone in the room, not even Claudia was there to comfort her. She found herself looking at an empty picture frame that still hung in the room even though the painting had long been lost. Augustus had said the painting had been destroyed and he wished he could find the pieces but they were probably scattered to the wind. Something about the empty space reminded her of Flora of all people. She wished she could remember why.

She knew it was natural for memory to go as you aged but sometimes it felt as though she was missing a whole other life. All she had left of this other life were intense feelings that would come at her in waves whenever she saw that empty space where a painting should have been. But it was worse when she saw Flora. Usually the feelings were unpleasant but today as she slowly braided the soft hair of the young girl; they calmed her and made her feel warmer than she ever had before.

"I think," she said quietly to herself, "I think," her voice was shaky because she must have been crying; "I love her."

* * *

><p><strong>Dahlia is an interesting character and will probably feature more heavily in the next few chapters. I always thought her story was a bittersweet one and I wanted to convey that here. Until next time,<strong>

**-Macy**


	19. Suspicion

"What is 'e like?" said the eager voice.

"He's a self-proclaimed gentleman, but I'm not sure I trust him just yet," she huffed, "I bet the gentlemen thing is just an act."

"I don't think we should trust anyone who wears a 'at like that wherever 'e goes," the other agreed, "I mean 'e could be 'iding anything."

"You're right, he probably has loads of secrets under that hat," she said nodding, "I've sent him out on an errand to see if I can gather anything else about him."

Flora and Dahlia had finally made it to the point where dinners were no longer awkward and they could chat pleasantly whenever Dahlia styled her hair. Beasly however was never close to Dahlia and still hadn't made it a point to try and get closer even after giving her a vase of violets. However they became fast friends when they realized they had a common enemy, one Professor Layton.

Before Beasly knew he was after the golden apple he thought the man must be someone to be admired, definitely someone important. But now he felt a certain animosity towards the man. He followed him but made sure to keep out of sight, glaring daggers at his hat. What if he was irresponsible? What if he was spiteful and mean? What if he wasn't kind to Flora? All these things raced through his head. He was only comforted by the fact that nobody with these traits could get Flora to smile. Still he was suspicious of the man and instantly connected with Dahlia on the matter.

* * *

><p>Lizzie thought the two were acting ridiculous but she understood why. She wasn't keen on Flora leaving with some stranger. She rolled her eyes, he wasn't some stranger, she corrected herself. She'd known who he was before he was even born. Beasly was getting to her. Beasly was even all for sending him the letter in the first place because he thought he was such a respectable man. She sighed, oh how her bee could get when it came to Flora.<p>

"Professor what a funny house!" A young boy's voice broke Lizzie out of her thoughts. Lizzie cracked a smile before turning around to face the two new-comers.

"Why, hello there! Do you often find yourself hopelessly, achingly, painfully stuck on puzzle?" She didn't wait for a reply, "Well then, sonny, you've come to the right place!" She gestured to her small house filled with the glowing lights. The puzzle seemed to tremble when the two travelers looked at them, "Welcome to Granny Riddleton's Puzzle Shack!"

"Granny Riddleton?" the young boy asked, he looked at the puzzles flitting about one landed on his hat causing him to giggle, "Where can we find this lady?"

"Why it is I! Yes you are gazing at the beautiful and clairvoyant Granny Riddleton, guide to the puzzled puzzlers!" She proclaimed.

"Beautiful and clairvoyant?" the boy's disbelieving tone didn't seem to affect Lizzie. The puzzles began to dart around him, he tried to catch some but they were always too quick.

The professor smiled at the boy's antics and took control of the situation, "Clairvoyant? As in you can see into the future?"

She giggled, "Any old fortune teller can do that, so what if I can see a few days into the future? My real specialty is puzzles." She took the one from the boy's hat and held it out to him, "Puzzles that are lost, or forgotten, I invite to stay here with me."

"So any puzzle we miss can be found right here?" The young boy gazed at the light the puzzle she held was emanating.

"Go on," she said softly, "Knock on the door, wake the little sleepyheads up."

The two adults watched as the young boy hesitantly knocked on the door to the little house, the rest of the puzzles within flowed out and danced around the room.

The little boy laughed in delight, "Professor look at them all!" Lizzie loved seeing the look in a young puzzler's eye. It was always refreshing to see such curiosity and wonder expressed, "Aren't they amazing?"

"Quite Luke," Granny Riddleton looked to the Professor and raised an eyebrow. That same look of wonder and curiosity was there on the man's face as well. It was a little bit harder to see but to her it was unmistakable. She was surprised when he turned to her and tipped his hat to her slightly, "Thank you Ms. Riddleton for helping us with our lost puzzles. We'll come back whenever we need your help. But might I trouble you to ask a question?"

"Go ahead," she said as Luke laughed in the background having solved a puzzle while the adults talked.

"You have lived here a long time correct?" He asked for confirmation.

"Yes," she said, smiling fondly, "I've been around so long that I was here before most of the buildings were constructed."

"Then do you know anything about this golden apple?" he asked.

"Um, no," she began stammering, "Only that it's some big treasure, the most valuable thing in this town."

"Then what about the tower?" he asked, "You must have been here while it was being built."

"No, no clue," she continued. The man raised an eyebrow but asked no further questions, "May I ask you a question, Sir?"

"It would only be fair," he said.

"If you were to find whatever this apple is," she began, "what would you do with it?"

"Depends what it turns out to be," he explained, "If it is some great treasure I would do my best to make sure it ends up where it belongs." He said thoughtfully.

"If you find it, you should protect it," she said, "treasures should be taken care of."

"I'll remember that," he looked as if he had found another piece of the puzzle, "Thank you Ms. Riddleton, we really must be leaving, we wouldn't want to take up any more of this lady's time, right Luke?" The Professor looked at the boy.

"I guess," he said looking despondent at the puzzles, "We can come back later, right Professor?"

"Of course Luke my boy," he said and bowed slightly to Lizzie who did a small curtsy to him, he left with Luke trailing behind waving one last goodbye to the dancing puzzles.

* * *

><p>"So he barges in after breaking your puzzle lock and demands you to answer questions about Flora?" Beasly ranted.<p>

"That's not at all what I said," Lizzie shook her head and took a sip from her teacup, "he seemed rather polite about the whole thing."

"Make sure it gets where it belongs, bah, then 'e should just leave and let it alone," Beasly grumbled into his teacup.

"I know how you feel Beasly," she admitted, "I want Flora to stay, but this is what Augustus wanted, Flora needs someone who can care for her. Bruno's always busy keeping the robots running," she looked away from the bee so he couldn't see her face, "And I'm not as young as I used to be."

"Don't you dare say that," Beasly almost growled.

"I'm not going anywhere Beasly," she snapped, "I'm just saying I can't keep up with a young girl."

"Lizzie," Beasly said unable to say more, he felt his eyes grow hot and spoke again softly, "I can't raise 'er, I'm a bee what do I know about raising a 'uman child. I couldn't even teach 'er 'ow to cook properly," he laughed hollowly.

They both sat letting their tea get cold not aware of the commotion happening in the mansion as the Professor and Luke returned to find the crime scene of a murder.

* * *

><p><strong>Some of the dialog in this chapter was taken directly from the game<strong> **that dialog isn't mine**.

**Anyway, thanks for reading again sorry to have ended on a bummer but things should pick up because we all know this story has a happy ending, but does it have one for Beasly?**

**-Macy**


	20. Down There

"I'm going down there," Flora said stopping her foot.

"But Flora, what if 'e sees you smiling? It'd all be ruined," Beasly explained resting on a rather large globe in the corner of the room.

"Don't worry I'll be careful," Flora said pulling things from a dresser, "You can even come with me."

"Lizzie told us we 'ad to stay 'ere until 'e figures it all out," Beasly rolled his eyes, "Apparently it isn't the right time for either of us to meet 'im." After their tea date Lizzie made Beasly go up to the tower to keep him out of trouble and comfort Flora, who she knew was getting lonely.

"You want to get out of here as much as I do, I know it," Flora said putting on a pair of red rimmed glasses.

"Even if I do I'm not going to disobey Lizzie," Beasly said, "Especially when it comes to 'er fate nonsense."

"See? You just called it nonsense," She tied a scarf around her head and admired her disguise in the mirror, "He'll just think I'm a normal villager, he can't recognize me now."

Beasly about told her that her disguise wasn't going to fool anyone for too long. But how could he disappoint her? "If you promise that we won't stay down there long," He said sighing.

"Thanks Beasly!" She raced to a window and looked out over her town, "He's down there somewhere, I need to know what he's like."

Something in Beasly's chest tightened as he saw her get so excited to meet this man. Maybe just as excited to leave.

"What are you staring at? We have to get a move on or we'll never find him," She reached out her hand and Beasly quickly put those thoughts aside. He landed on her hand which she put in her scarf, "Hide in here, he won't be able to see you here."

"Bless you Flora," Beasly said, finally someone understood his hatred of purses.

* * *

><p>They hadn't made it far; they snooped around the wall hiding her home and parts of the surrounding area before he showed up. Beasly had to give him credit, though he was still very much against him, it was impressive he got it this far.<p>

"Why who might you be?" Layton turned to see Flora.

"Remember don't tell 'im what he doesn't need to know, you know 'ow you can get when talking to new people," Beasly warned.

"Well, I'd rather not say," Flora said as bravely as she could.

"Why not?" The boy yelled, startling Flora, "What are you hiding." Beasly had half a mind not to scold the boy right there and then for scaring her.

Before he could the professor looked at her with a reassuring smile, which seemed to calm her down, he spoke up again, "We wish to seek access to the tower." Flora gasped, "Do you thing you can help us Miss?"

"Don't tell him anything Flora," Beasly whispered.

Listening to Beasly she tried to stall, "The tower? Mm," she pretended like she was thinking.

Beasly looked around searching for an excuse Flora could use to leave, what he saw made him freeze. A man stood in the shadows and watched them. Beasly heard him chuckle darkly and Beasly's eyes grew wide. "Flora we 'ave to go, now! There's someone 'ere, please run!" Beasly said urgently.

Flora turned and saw the man, she almost screamed but did what she was told and ran. Beasly heard the Professor yelling after them but Beasly wasn't going to let that stop them.

* * *

><p>They ran to Lizzie's place and slammed the door behind them. Lizzie was surprised by their arrival but not so surprised that they had disobeyed her. She sent Flora into the other room with a cup of hot coco to calm down while she and Beasly spoke.<p>

"Lizzie, there is someone else 'ere," Beasly said gravely.

"Did you see who?" She asked.

"I didn't get a good look at 'im, 'e was in the dark, but 'e 'ad a mustache I think," Beasly shuddered, "But I think 'e looked at me."

"That can't be good," Lizzie said not hiding her concern very well.

"'e could be looking for the golden apple too," Beasly said not hiding his rage very well, "Layton 'as to figure this out before 'im. I know 'e can."

"Oh, so you're suddenly pro-Layton," Lizzie said.

"I don't know, something about the way 'e talked," Beasly started to explain but when he saw Lizzie smile he quickly continued, "Well anything's better than creepy stalker mustache."

"I'll ask Bruno to come escort Flora home," she said looking in her direction, "We need to find this man and get rid of him, fast."

"Bruno? Is 'e up for it? I 'eard 'e got a good work-out recently," Beasly said causing Lizzie to giggle and relax again.

"He'll be more careful this time," Lizzie said trying not to laugh anymore, "My dear bee, what a mess this is."

"Isn't it?" Beasly said then sighed, "Isn't it always."

* * *

><p>"They chase me in the middle of the night, and now they've broken the amusement park I built," Bruno ranted as Beasly and Flora followed behind, "I can see why you're wary of them Beasly."<p>

"They don't seem like the kind of people who could break the Ferris wheel themselves," Flora piped up.

"Maybe it was another reappearance of Mustache Man," Beasly began calling him.

"I just wish they wouldn't interfere with my work," Bruno said, "I can't stand seeing all the things I worked so hard to create for your father destroyed. Especially the robots," he said, "They were like family to me and now I can't even see them anymore. The least I can do for them is repair them, they won't even let me do that in peace," Bruno kept going as they climbed the tower.

"Bruno I believe you can take 'er from 'ere, I need to go 'elp out your wife find this mystery Mustache Man," Beasly said.

"Give her my love, tell her I'll come home tonight," Bruno said.

"Of course, now Flora," she turned to the bee, "I want you to stay in the tower until it's safe, no more leaving okay? I'm serious this time."

"Yes Beasly," She nodded, although he knew that look in her eye, she was still curious.

"I love you Flora," Beasly said out of the blue, he rarely said it.

This showed as Flora looked surprised, but she smiled, "I love you too."

Beasly nodded and flew down the tower as Bruno and Flora went the other way. Beasly was more determined to make sure no creepy stalker would ever find the golden apple, his Flora.

* * *

><p><strong>A shorter chapter than usual but it's about time we talked about Flora again, and we see Bruno which we haven't in a long time. More in-game dialog used, I watched that cut-scene abut ten times to get it right. We'll be wrapping up Curious Village soon so that's what's next. Thanks for reading!<strong>

**-Macy**


	21. Lucky Detectives

Beasly was a terrible detective, but he was definitely the luckiest. He was never good about looking for clues to find what he's looking for. And that was certainly true now as he searched for the mysterious mustache man. He asked around but the robots hadn't' seen a hair of the man. Not one trace of the man was left where he was last seen by him. Lizzie told him that she would scope the future for him and that Beasly shouldn't worry so much. Beasly rolled his eyes just thinking about it. Him not worry about the safety of his town? His friends? He scoffed to himself as he flew up to the manor.

He needed help and he knew just who to ask. There was a detective that came to investigate Simon's "murder". Of course Beasly couldn't ask him directly, but he could ask Dahlia to do it for him. A real detective would be able to track the man for sure, especially since a strange man lurking around might be a potential lead for his murder case.

Beasly cautiously flew towards the window and peeked inside. There seemed to be some commotion between the Professor and the detective. The Professor seemed to be pacing around and speaking. The detective looked agitated and began speaking quickly. Beasly wondered why the Professor was going on when suddenly the detective wasn't the detective anymore. "The man!" Beasly cried watching the mustached man stomp around some more proclaiming something inaudible to Beasly. He didn't have much time to prepare as the man leapt through the window and crashed down on him.

"Oi!" Beasly cried clinging onto the man's jacket collar as he dashed away, "You aren't getting away that easily!"

"Bleh! A talking bee, I can't say I'm much surprised," the mustached man didn't slow his pace at this usually startling news.

"I don't care 'ow surprised you are!" Beasly said trying not to lose his grip.

"You should be trembling in fear of the great Don Paolo, you should be surprised insect!" he proclaimed.

"Oh no, I'm so afraid of you the great Paul," Beasly shot back.

"Don Paolo!" He cried again.

"Cool it Paul, no need to yell," Beasly would have crossed his arms if they were not busy, he settled instead for sticking out his tongue childishly.

"You infuriating bug!" Paolo growled in response.

* * *

><p>"A match made in heaven," Lizzie rolled her eyes.<p>

"You see something?" Bruno glanced up from a set of gears he was tinkering with.

"I found him, Beasly is with him," she explained, "He seems to be fine for now, their constant bickering constituted most of the vision but I did get a pretty good idea of where they are headed.

"Great," Bruno put down his tools on the kitchen table and looked at Lizzie with a look of worry and determination, "He's got Simon and now Beasly, I refuse to let that man get away with Flora too. I'm going to gather up the townspeople."

"What if they see you dear, I thought they aren't supposed to know," Lizzie asked touching her husband's shoulder gently.

"Well it's time for an introduction, I can't keep hiding away in that tower while my friends are taken away from me," Bruno said stroking her hair gently, "They may not trust me at first but if anything can get those robots to rally, it's their family. And three members of it are in trouble."

"Oh Bruno, I love you, let's save our family," Lizzie said then giggled softly, they kissed for a few seconds before Bruno broke away.

"I'm going to head to the tower, warning as many people as I can," He said then winked. He headed out the door moving faster than Lizzie had seen in years, not since they entered this curious village all those years ago had she seen him look so young.

* * *

><p>"Will you shut up already?" Don Paolo groaned as he finally reached his destination.<p>

"I should say the same to you, you speak every time I take a breath," Beasly replied but was startled when Paolo suddenly stopped in front of a huge hunk of metal, "What is that?"

"Plan B," he said hopping in; he shook Beasly off onto the dashboard of the contraption and began pressing buttons.

"Plan B?" Beasly asked.

"Plan Bee, as in you," he said staring Beasly down, "You are going to tell me what the golden apple is."

"I-I don't know that," Beasly said finally crossing his arms in defiance

"You were with that girl, the daughter of the Baron, which means you must know something about their family," Don Paolo said.

"I don't know I swear," Beasly protested.

Beasly saw something mischievous flash in Paul's eyes, it made him nervous. Don Paolo laughed, "Layton will get to the apple before I even get this thing off the ground, so I'll just have to destroy it," Don Paolo laughed at the obvious reaction this got out of Beasly, "That tower goes first."

"No you can't, destroyed? You can't, no," Beasly stammered his heart beating rapidly.

"I thought so; you have no more say bee, Plan C, It's my lucky day, I get the last laugh over Layton!" Don Paolo reached a quick hand and snatched Beasly and tossed him into a compartment under the dashboard. He laughed at his protests.

"No you don't understand the app-," Beasly tried to explain but the compartment was closed in his face, "It's the girl!" But the rest fell on deaf ears.

* * *

><p>Flora sat staring out the window playing with the lace bow on her dress. After Bruno left her alone with her thoughts she began to get scared. What if Beasly was right and that man wasn't going to take care of her? And she'd miss everyone so terribly; she'd miss the beautiful flowers decorating the village that her mom and Beasly loved so much. Could she really leave? "My little village," she said softly. She tried to stop Layton from using the key, to just leave the tower alone. She sighed; she probably just made him more curious.<p>

"What was that?" She felt the whole tower move, it was opening. Not the way she usually entered but the way Beasly, Lizzie, and Bruno spent weeks incorporating the toughest puzzles they had on hand into the path. "He's coming!" She stood up and prepared herself for her fate.

* * *

><p>Beasly by chance had stumbled onto Don Paolo and his whole plan. He may not have been a great detective but he was lucky. He knew exactly his plans and where he'd be all by just being in the right place. "Oh Flora, why can't I ever protect you?" Beasly sat between spare parts and prepared for his fate.<p>

He didn't feel very lucky.

* * *

><p><strong>Reaching the Climax, how exciting! Hope you liked it, sorry for the wait but I hope it was worth it!<strong>

**-Macy**


	22. Contraptions

Bruno whistled and stared at the mechanical beauty coming his way. He was the first person to notice it heading toward the town. Well, really Beasly was the first to know where it was headed but he didn't appreciate the genuine talent in the machine that Bruno did. Beasly was too busy being stuck inside the mechanical monstrosity, as he called it, to worry about anything else. But if he was able he would definitely have teased Bruno for going gaga over the machine.

"Sure it's a bit rough around the edges," Bruno muttered to himself, "And the design choice is iffy, but he went all the way with it."

"Sir?" A small voice called.

Bruno looked around for a moment before remembering he was standing on a roof. He climbed down and smiled, "Yes Lucy?"

"Why are you on my roof? What is that thing? Who are you?" She asked barely pausing between questions.

"I'm a doctor," he said slowly, "I've come to make everyone feel better."

"A doctor?" a new voice spoke up that Bruno immediately knew belonged to Martha. She pointed a hand of cards at him, "Haven't I seen you somewhere before?"

"I've been here for a while," he explained, "You just have felt well enough not to have seen me."

"What is that big flying thing?" A man asked between bites of a sandwich, Bruno chuckled, _that's Prosciutto._

"It's Danger, I need you to spread the word and get everyone away from the tower," he seemed to weigh his options, "Up by Main Street should be safe enough, get everyone there as quick as you can! Hurry!"

The gathered robots didn't question him, because even though they seemed to barley know him, they felt like they trusted him. Something about the way he talked sounded familiar and somewhat comforting.

Bruno breathed a sigh of relief and thought back to late nights between flickering lights, as he worked tirelessly on repairing his creations. He would tell stories, his voice soft and low, to machines that he never thought could hear.

* * *

><p>The next person to notice had been top-hatted man, as Beasly had gotten Flora into the habit of calling him, and everyone else in the Tower. Flora finally got to meet the man and he'd known everything. He even knew she was the golden apple. Now she wanted to know more about him, she could talk for hours with him over some kind of tea about how he figured out the puzzles. But her chances seemed to be ruined as her whole world seemed to start crashing around her.<p>

"What's going on?" The little boy in blue cried.

Flora cried as another tremor sent her falling to the ground. She was surprised how fast the Professor was there before her helping her up. Before she could even say thanks they were running for their lives down the stone steps as the walls of her tower crumbled.

"Bruno," she whispered to herself, she hoped he'd gotten out of the Tower before this whole mess started.

Then she was falling. It was so very dark and she was falling. But once again she was surprised by how quickly she was caught by the top-hatted man.

"Go Luke!" He called as he carefully helped her up. That's when she noticed there was no longer a way down.

"What are we going to do?" She asked not sure whether she was shaking from fear or weather that was the tower quaking. She also wasn't sure why the Professor had led them back to her little home at the very top. All he was doing was pacing not making a sound. Then she saw his eyes light up, Beasly mentioned something about that when he described him to her the first time, he smiled and turned to her, "I got it."

* * *

><p>Although he was the first to know Paul's evil plan, Beasly felt like he was doing the least to stop it. He refused to sit around, trapped in a small place worrying about his friends; he'd already done five years of that. At first he tried knocking the door open but being immortal didn't give him anymore strength than a normal bee. When that didn't work he began inspecting where the door was kept shut, it seemed like it was some kind of magnet, "Fine Paul, I'll play smart," he rooted around in the dark till he found a nail with a sharp tip and began trying to push the two magnets apart, "Just you wait Paul I'll be out of here yet."<p>

* * *

><p>Don Paolo knew all along about this little back up plan, of course he still wanted whatever the golden apple was but if it meant Layton also couldn't get it, well he'd go for the second best thing. Besides, he'd worked on this flying contraption for months and months and he was glad to finally give her a go. He loved building it and it would be a shame for her to never see the light of day. He laughed manically as he smashed the tower to pieces.<p>

* * *

><p>"Good job, you saw Nancy right?" A few robots nodded in agreement, "Great that's everyone, there still some kids separated from their parents, if everyone could help get them where they need to go," He instructed.<p>

"Oh Bruno," Lizzie called walking up to him, "A few injuries reported, but nothing you can't fix right, doctor?"

"Hand me the list," he said taking it from her and also kissing her on the cheek, "How's Flora?"

"Wait for it," Lizzie said pointing to the sky.

* * *

><p>Flora was flying, she wished she could enjoy it more but this was the most dangerous thing she had ever done in her life. She was terrified. She watched the Professor make a working hang-glider out of her room. He looked as if he was solving a puzzle form the jumble of parts he collected. Thank goodness she'd worn this dress!<p>

"I've got you now Layton!" She heard a man bellow, the man and machine responsible for destroying her home was so close to destroying her future too.

Layton held on tight and steered their makeshift escape route out of the way of the flying spiked ball that the mustached man sent flying their way. She felt the hang-glider lurch and saw that part of it had gotten caught up the blades of the mustached man's flying machine.

* * *

><p>"What's that?" Bruno called watching a sack fall from the machine.<p>

"Family Bruno, we have to hurry," Lizzie said racing with him to where it landed. Bruno quickly kneeled in front of the bag and opened it like a child would open presents on Christmas, but he never wanted what he found.

"Simon," he breathed and hung his head.

"Can you fix him?" She asked softly.

He chuckled weakly and gave her a small smile, "Yes. I will fix him, not sure how, but I will." Lizzie rubbed his shoulders, no doubt in her mind that he husband could have him up and working in no time.

"Doctor come quickly!" He heard little Lucy call, she was panting having chased after them.

"What is it?" He stood and faced the little girl trying to catch her breath.

"Flora and the puzzle man fell from the sky!" Lucy said pointing back from where she came from.

"Let's not waste any more time," Bruno said scooping up Lucy and motioning for his wife to follow as he raced back.

* * *

><p>"This isn't over yet. Layton! Just you wait! One day I'll have my revenge on you!" he yelled cursing his rival's name as his machine spun out of control. He began messing around with the controls, "If I just press this and pull here," he muttered to himself and tried to gain control of the contraption, "Haha, I can take my revenge sooner than I thought," He said finally getting it to work.<p>

"I don't think so!" Don Paolo yelped in pain letting go of a lever sending the machine spiraling down again. He looked to see a bee sticking his tongue out at him and waving a small nail, "Take that Paul!" He tried to reach out and grab the annoying pest but the bee was too quick and darted out of the way. The bee threw the nail back and zipped off back to town leaving Paul to his fate.

* * *

><p>He raced as fast as he could to where everyone else was gathered, they were all circled around something he couldn't see. He flew between heads and saw Flora slowly coming to. He was about to fly to her and make sure she knew that he'd always be there for her. Then he saw her smile, he hadn't seen her smile like that in years, she threw herself into a hug with the Professor smiling so much that the birthmark showed up.<p>

Beasly smiled sadly as the crowd cheered and the Professor worked out the rest of the town's puzzle. He sighed, turned around, and flew home.

* * *

><p><strong>I am finally free of commitments since Summer has come around! That's exciting for everyone especially anyone who wants this story to consistently update. I know I sure do. ;)<strong>

**-Macy**


	23. Little Village

"It's all over," Bruno said simply, he looked over to his wife.

She rubbed his shoulders, "You got to see them again, at least one last time face to face before they all shut down."

"What will we do now?" Beasly spoke up.

"I don't know," Lizzie said, "and I'm not sure I want to look ahead and see." She blinked away the beginnings of her clairvoyance.

"We 'aven't known anything other than this town in years," Beasly said, "I can't even imagine life without it." He was surprised at what he was saying, he was even more surprised that it was true. A lifetime before now buzzing about his hive, he didn't feel like he belonged with the other bees. He never expected to belong anywhere, to have a home and a family. That home was moments away from shutting down forever and that ever shrinking family would collapse.

Bruno wiped his eyes, "She deserves it though. They want her to be happy, we all do." He took a deep breath, "And if that's the cost, I'm sure they'd be willing. They were built knowing deep down inside what it was all about," he paused, "And how it would end."

They stayed silent for a moment but Bruno couldn't quite keep it all in and Lizzie felt the same way, soon they were attempting to choke back sobs. Beasly felt tears spring to his eyes when he thought about how he'd miss it all.

The robots continued to help one another through the destruction. They started cleaning up and comforting those who had lost their homes. Occasionally one of the older ones would look at the mansion in the distance like it knew, but then would go back to entertaining the kids with puzzles.

The two humans and the bee held their breath knowing that soon everything they had worked at for years would be over.

But nothing happened.

They waited a long time but none of the robots even paused. They looked at each other in confusion, not sure how to feel.

"Aunt Lizzie! Uncle Bruno!" Flora crashed into them and surprised them all with a large hug. They both looked at each other and started laughing while still crying.

"What 'appened Flora?" Beasly asked just as confused.

"I don't need the money Beasly, not if it means losing my family. Even when I'm far away I want to know you're happy," Flora said looking like she was going to cry too, "I heard what Papa had recorded, but I think he'd still want me to do this."

"Flora," Anything else Beasly was going to say stuck in his throat, so he just smiled and joined the hug in the best way a bee of his size could.

"I have a lot of goodbyes to say, the Professor told me I had lots of time to pack and talk," Flora said, "I don't want to keep him here forever so I'll be back, promise!" She raced off, still grinning.

""Ow about that," Beasly said nudging Lizzie, "I bet you couldn't 'ave predicted this!"

"Excuse me, uh Doctor," the towering robot Deke approached the small group.

"Call me Doctor Bruno," Bruno shifted his tone of voice, Beasly thought he sounded more professional.

"Martha says you're new and can help some of us," he looked sheepishly at his arm, "I think I broke it."

"Take me to the injured," he winked to Beasly and Lizzie.

"We've got them up at the clock tower," Deke explained.

"Not too 'igh up, I 'ope," Beasly teased.

"I'll have you know I went up one whole level today," Deke said trying to hide his sudden tremors.

"Come on Deke," Bruno rolled his eyes at the bee but couldn't stop smiling.

"Sorry!" Deke rushed after him.

"Beasly, stop terrorizing the villagers," Lizzie's tone of voice would've been scolding if she hadn't been so happy.

"I never thought I'd get a chance to ever again," Beasly said, "now I can bother everyone here for eternity."

"I'm sure everyone's thrilled," Lizzie said shaking her head, she began to giggle, "You know what?" She giggled some more, "I am thrilled!"

* * *

><p>"I promise to write," Flora stood with the best posture she could muster, she tried keeping a straight face.<p>

"And I will write back," Dahlia sat in a chair in the almost opposite side of the room, she had trouble looking away from the window.

"Goodbye Dahlia," Flora lifted her suitcase and turned to the door.

"Farewell," she said looking to her feet, she bunched up the skirt of her dress in her fists, "Flora."

The two had come a long way. Flora wished she could admit that she would miss the dinners they spent together. She wished she could thank her for teaching her all the things her mother couldn't before she died. The letters would have to do.

"Wait!" Flora took her hand off the doorknob and turned to Dahlia. The woman stood up and moved to Flora and embraced her. Flora was surprised but found herself returning the hug. "I will miss you very much." Dahlia was ruining her makeup with her tears, but she didn't care.

"I will miss you too," Flora said softly, crying into the folds of Dahlia's dress like she did when she was little.

Dahlia kissed the top of her head and let go, "I expect a letter as soon as you get to your new home."

"Of course," Flora said wiping her eyes.

"If there's any trouble I'll be there," Dahlia said back using her commanding voice.

"Thank you, for everything," Flora smiled at Dahlia one last time and left.

Dahlia knew Flora could never love her like she loved her real mother, but telling her she would miss her was all Dahlia needed. That weight she had felt ever since she had moved here and met Augustus, it had gown even heavier when he had died, was suddenly gone. Dahlia couldn't help but smile.

Mathew entered with Ingrid, even Claude entered the room, "Are you sure this is quite all right, Madame?" Mathew asked.

Dahlia picked up Claude who didn't fight, he was being held gently for once, she moved to the window and the two servants followed. She watched Flora follow Professor Layton and Luke out to town. "Certainly. If leaving will make Flora happy, I'd like nothing more than see her off with a smile."

* * *

><p>"I love you Beasly," Flora had her hand held out, the bee held tight on her thumb.<p>

"I love you so very much Flora," Beasly said softly.

"I hope we can see each other again," She said.

"I'm sure we will," Beasly said, "In the meantime, be safe."

"You too," She said and kissed him on the head.

He kissed her thumb in response, "See you later Flora, my little flower."

"Goodbye Beasly, my little bee," She said softly and let him fly into the air, hiding just in time so the Professor wouldn't see him as he passed.

She followed the man into the bright red car, she looked back at the large group of people who had come to see her out. She saw Bruno, Lizzie, and Beasly in the crowd, she saw all her friends, her family. The car started and soon she was getting further and further away from the only home she'd known. She watched it shrink in the distance from the back window of the odd vehicle, she sighed and said her final farewell, "Goodbye then, little Village."

* * *

><p><strong>And so ends Curious Village! The dialog taken from the game was the conversation between Matthew and Dahlia and the last line by Flora. Did you know all the robots have fun little bios that tell you about their personality? I think before I start the Diabolical Box I'll focus on the town more. As always I hope everyone liked the chapter! Special thanks to The Mocking J, your reviews are keeping me going :). <strong>

**Here's to future chapters,**

**-Macy **


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